Change in govt rules has left me on streets: Teacher

Lakshmi Prasad | NT

Bengaluru: Karnataka State Aided School College Pension Employees’ Association are protesting in Freedom Park. Their grouse is that employees of aided education institutes are not being given pension as per the old pension scheme. The protest has been going on for 69 days now. Every day these teachers come at 9.00 am and stay up to 6.00 pm.

The protest has people from multiple districts joining hands. Around 40,000 people are part of this protest with at least 1,000 demanding for what they say is their right. Most of the protesters are aged 50 years and above. Vishveshwarayya, a Bengaluru-based teacher told News Trail that he was 55 years old when he received his salary.

“That was for only four years and nine months. The government’s new rules have left me without a job. Who will give me a job at the age of 60?” he said. Another teacher said, "I've worked for 30 years, 20 of them without a salary. I have served the government, but am not entitled to pension in accordance with the OPS. It is our rights and we are humbly requesting the government to grant us a pension. We won’t stop the protest until our voice is heard and a solution found.”