Salt Lake Witnesses Twin Protests by Para-Teachers and Medical Technologists

Kolkata : Salt Lake witnessed heightened tension on Tuesday as simultaneous protests by para-teachers and medical technologists unfolded across the administrative hub. While para-teachers marched towards Bikash Bhavan pressing for long-pending demands, medical technologists staged a sit-in outside the Health Department headquarters, prompting a heavy police deployment and causing disruptions in the area.

The para-teachers presented several demands, including the implementation of pending files under the Sarva Shiksha Mission and salary increases. They sought a direct meeting with the Education Minister and warned of a larger movement if their requests were ignored.

According to the protesters, “We don’t want allowances; we want proper salaries. The allowances for public representatives keep increasing, but the children of para-teachers don’t get enough to eat. The file prepared for our salary hike must be implemented immediately.” They also expressed frustration over the recent budget announcement that raised para-teachers’ honorarium by ₹1,000.

The protesters stated, “We will return that ₹1,000. We can’t run our households. What can be done with just ₹1,000?” After this, they initially attempted to remove the guard rails in front of Bikash Bhavan, and when police intervened, they sat down on the road in protest. They demand a salary of at least ₹30,000 to ₹32,000, while they currently earn only ₹10,000 to ₹13,000, which is not enough to support a family. As a result, many are forced to take on additional work.

Meanwhile, medical technologists from the MT Lab cadre protested near the Health Department headquarters, calling for transparent recruitment. When police tried to disperse the crowd, the protesters clashed with them. They pointed out that many positions are still vacant, yet no recruitment process has taken place since 2020.