Imphal, June 22: Intensifying their ongoing stir, the employees of District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) today locked the office of the SCERT Directorate on the third day to and stayed a sit-in-protest demonstration in front of the gate.

The DIET Employees' Association has launching their stir since June 20 demanding the State Government for signing the MoU with the Central Government for implementation of DIET scheme, submission of all the relevant documents for recognition of the DIET centres in the State by National Council of Teachers' Education, payment of pending salaries since December 2003, extension of service tenure of the employees for smooth functioning of the DIET centres among others.

Talking to mediapersons today, Association president AK Achouba said the employees working in various DIET centres have been playing an important role in improving the standard of education in the State through imparting training to the teachers from elementary to secondary level since the establishment of the DIET centres in 1989 as part of the 7th five-year plan.

Although the 8th meeting of the Teacher Education Approval Board held on November 2004 at New Delhi had resolved for signing of MoU between the Centre and the State Governments concerned for implementation of DIET scheme, the Joint Director of Education (S) who represented the State in the said meeting has not taken up necessary measures, thus leading to the present crisis, Achouba charged.

DESAM appeals: Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has appealed to the Government for bringing about and amicable solution and end the ongoing strike of the teachers over rationalisation policy as well as the agitation being launched by the DIET employees so that the academic atmosphere is not affected.

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