Hyderabad: Teachers hold massive protest against Congress government; demand repeal of CPS

Thousands of teachers protested at Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad demanding that the Congress government scrap the Contributory Pension Scheme and reinstate the Old Pension Scheme. Leaders warned of intensifying the agitation if the government fails to honour its election promise

Hyderabad: A large number of teachers from across the State staged a massive protest at Dharna Chowk here on Monday, demanding that the Congress government abolish the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and reinstate the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

During the protest, organised by the Progressive Recognised Teachers’ Union Telangana State (PRTUTS), teachers dressed in black shirts, sarees and t-shirts took out a ‘Black March’ to register their anger against the government’s inaction on their long-pending demand.

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Addressing the gathering, Teacher MLC Pingili Sripal Reddy demanded that the Congress government fulfil its election promise by scrapping CPS and reinstating OPS.

The MLC criticised the Congress government for failing to act on CPS even after nearly two years in power. He expressed frustration that although CPS was discussed in JAC meetings and a ministerial committee was formed, the government had not held a single meeting on the issue.

Reddy said teachers would not rest until OPS was restored, including for those recruited under earlier notifications such as the DSC 2003 batch. He warned that the protest would be further intensified if the government fails to reinstate OPS.

All India Federation of Teachers’ Organisations president CL Rose, Employees JAC chairman Maram Jagadishwar, and secretary general Eluri Srinivasa Rao expressed solidarity with the protesting teachers.