AGARTALA, Dec 13 - The indefinite protest by thousands of Tripura government school teachers, who had lost their jobs following court rulings, entered its seventh day today as they rejected the State government�s offer to apply for the vacant posts.
Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath had appealed to 10,323 retrenched teachers to appear in fresh interviews to be conducted for filling up around 9,000 vacant posts of teachers.
�I appeal to the agitating teachers to face interview in order to get employment because appointment cannot be made without interview. Political power keeps on changing. Today we are in power and tomorrow somebody else may rule the State. But, the fact remains that jobs cannot be provided without appearing in interview,� Nath said.
The BJP-IPFT government has sympathy for the teachers, who lost their jobs due to orders passed by the Supreme Court and the high court, because of which 5000 posts for Group C and D, and around 4000 posts of teachers have been created, he said.
Nath hoped that most of the retrenched teachers would get jobs if they appear in the interview and the government has alternative option for those who fail to clear the interview. �Everything cannot be disclosed publicly,� he said when asked about the alternative option.
Recalling the Chief Minister�s meeting with the retrenched teachers, Nath said they had expressed satisfaction after the meeting.
�In the meeting, the Chief Minister had made it clear that the government cannot break rules. There is no point in hitting the streets. The government has sympathy for the teachers. I do not know if there is a political hand behind it (protest). I appeal to the teachers again to appear in the interview and encash the opportunity,� he added.
