Balurghat: Para teachers stage protest seeking pay hike, regularisation

BALURGHAT: Hundreds of para teachers staged a protest and submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate of South Dinajpur on Wednesday, demanding fair treatment, salary hikes and regularisation of their jobs.

Gathering in front of the administrative building in Balurghat, the protesting teachers observed a complete work boycott.

Members of the Para Teachers’ Association expressed frustration over years of “neglect”, stating that while the government employees across departments receive periodic salary revisions, para teachers “continue to be excluded”.

“We perform the same duties as permanent teachers, yet our pay remains stagnant for years,” said one of the demonstrators.

“In today’s economy, our salaries are so low that even daily wage labourers often earn more by the end of the month,” he added.

Supriyo Roy, a protesting para teacher, explained that their demands include immediate salary revision, passing a Bill in the

state Assembly for regularisation and access to the same benefits granted to other departments since March 1, 2024.

“We’ve been working for over 20 years, but our service is still not recognised properly,” he said.

The teachers warned that they will intensify their movement if their demands are not addressed by the state government.