Expressing solidarity with the agitating teachers, government employees staged a demonstration at the Collectorate here on Thursday urging the State government to scrap the contributory pension scheme (CPS).
Led by Andhra Pradesh NGO State president Bandi Srinivasa Rao, they raised slogans demanding that the State government revert to the old pension scheme as promised during the run-up to the Assembly elections in 2019.
Addressing the protesters, Mr. Srinivasa Rao maintained that State CPS employees deserved a decent amount as pension after retirement from service. ''It is high time the Chief Minister fulfilled his promise made to the CPC employees during the long march,'' he added.
Sporting black badges, the protesters observed the day as ‘‘betrayal day’‘. The teachers threatened to boycott the Teachers’ Day celebrations on September 5 to protest against the government’s ‘‘indifferent’‘ attitude to their protracted struggle.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh United Teachers’ Federation(APUTF) leader K. Srinivasa Rao said it was unfortunate that the State Government tried to suppress the stir by using the police. The agitating teachers should be called for talks to find an amicable solution and not to precipitate the matters further. ‘‘We will have no option but to embark on Vijayawada Chalo March’ on September 11,’‘ he added.
