Opposition stages walk out amid uproar in House

'Female teachers forced play chowkidars'

1/19/2017

Nitesh Sangral

Early Times Report

Jammu, Jan 19: Once again legislators exchanged heated arguments between treasury benches and opposition staged walk out over the issue of turning school teachers into chowkidars and deploying female teachers for watch and ward purpose of the school buildings.

The house proceedings begun peacefully but when MoS Education gave reply of the question of Bashir Ahmad Veeri and Qaiser Jamsheed Lone, the opposition legislators and others stood from their seats and amid sloganeering they come trooped into the well of the house and created ruckus for few minutes.

Replying to a questions posed by National Conference MLCs regarding gutted schools in valley, Minister of State for education informed the house that total 32 schools have burnt and 47 miscreants have been arrested in the cases. Regarding safety of the schools, Minister informed that Director School Education, Kashmir issued Circular instructions to prepare duty roster such that at least one official present round the clock, expect teachers.

Amid uproar over reducing female teachers to the level of chowkidars during unrest, the opposition staged walk out from the LC.

Raising supplementary NC legislators alleged that the government's reply in contradictory and far from ground reality as "Minister has stated that no teacher has been asked to do watch and ward duty in night but in reality teachers especially female teachers were forced to do watch and ward duties after schools in sensitive and high sensitive zones," NC MLC said.

"This government disgraces teacher by demoting them to Chowkidar" said NC MLC. "This government has talked about granting VIP status to teachers but not they make them Chowkidars, and not even spare the mother and daughter of Kashmir," he said.

On this, Minister replied this is highly sensitive matter and government should be complemented for bringing normalcy back from turmoil and conducting examination successfully.

In the meantime, NC MLC said that nobody is supporting miscreants and they all want strict and exemplary punishment but same time government should investigate that how teachers, particularly females were asked to do so in militancy prone areas.

Soon after this, few members from treasury benches stood on their seats and starts yelling and trade accusations over unrest. PDP MLC stood form his seat and shouted that what they (MLCs) are demanding for they are responsible for it and continually shouting despite attempts of several ministers to pacify him.

Chairman, tried hard to pacify PDP MLC but both members of treasury bench keep shouting and created massive uproar in the House of Elders. The disturbance by both continue for 10 minutes after joint opposition comprising of all members from National Conference and Congress stood and stormed in the Well of the House.

"We are raising very genuine issue, which concerns everybody but unfortunately members from ruling party created disturbance," NC MLC said. Congress MLC said the way members from treasury benches disturb the proceedings is not healthy sign for democracy and all members of opposition staged walkout from Upper House.