Teachers Await March Salaries as AAP’s ‘Sikhya Kranti’ Faces Backlash Over Delays

• Apr 22, 2025

While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government has launched its ambitious “Sikhya Kranti” initiative, aiming to revolutionise education through a slew of new projects and crores of rupees in investment, a glaring oversight has sparked frustration among the very people expected to implement this vision—teachers.

Nearly 1,000 primary school teachers across 12 blocks in the district have yet to receive their salaries for the month of March, even as April nears its end. The delay has caused significant distress among teachers, who accuse the government of neglecting their welfare while promoting high-profile education reforms.

District President of the ETT Teachers Union, Paramjit Singh Mann, criticised the government’s lack of urgency, stating, “Except for six or seven blocks, teachers in almost the entire district are still waiting for their March salaries. We’ve been told that the Treasury Department cannot release payments without approval from higher authorities.”

According to Mann, although the budget for salaries was released on April 9, the Education Department reportedly received verbal instructions not to disburse funds until further notice. “Salary bills raised by several schools were cleared on April 17, but many are still pending. The process won’t move forward until the green light comes from the top,” he said.

Adding to the teachers’ frustration, union leader Kuljinder Singh Baddowal highlighted that April is a financially critical month for families. “This is the time when we have to spend on school admissions, uniforms, books, and other essentials for our children. If we don’t get our salaries on time, how are we expected to manage?”

Teachers are warning of intensified protests if their dues are not released within the next few days. This is not the first time salary disbursals have been delayed, and educators say the repeated disruptions reflect poorly on a government claiming to prioritise education.

“As the government spends large sums on infrastructure and new initiatives under ‘Sikhya Kranti,’ it must also ensure that the basic rights of teachers—like timely salary payments—are not ignored,” said Mann.

With mounting pressure from teachers and growing public concern, all eyes are now on the state government and its next steps to resolve the crisis.