Agartala, Mar 15 : In a predawn operation on Tuesday, Tripura police detained a group of retrenched 10,323 teachers from the Circuit house area on VIP Road who were demonstrating to meet Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb for their alternative livelihood. Police said a few had been arrested on Monday from the main gate of Civil Secretariat for illegal assembly and attempting to get inside in the VVIP zone. Around 500 agitators were prevented in the Circuit house area following the scuffle and thereafter, the victim teachers sat for dharna seeking an audience of Deb. “At night many of the agitators returned home but a small group remained on the roadside and planned to continue agitation there. The location is very sensitive because all the VIP movements are on this road, residence of a high court judge, Assistant Commissioner Office of Bangladesh high commission, Circuit house and DIG office of Assam Rifles. Moreover, the entire road stretch would be sanitized for upcoming budget session of assembly to begin from Thursday,” said police. Before gathering started, police were asked to clear the area and accordingly, all of them were detained to police lane, an on-duty police officer told the media adding, “We are also sympathetic towards their cause but blocking the road and creating public incontinence for meeting the Chief Minister is illegal. So, we had to evict them.” “We have been assured by the government several times that they would make alternative arrangements for our livelihood. Chief Minister in October 2020, Chief Minister promised us to do an arrangement within two months but didn’t and afterwards he has been avoiding us. Meantime, 117 retrenched teachers have died so far due to extreme poverty and many are fighting for survival,” alleged Bijay Krishna Saha, a leader of terminated teachers. He threatened to commit mass suicide and go for self-immolation unless the state government does not take any step for saving the families and added, “For last four years, they have been dragging our case and now they are meeting with us. The families cannot bear the sufferings any more. Even if our recruitment process was faulty, the p shment has to be given to the people behind it, not we. But this government is doing the reverse.” BB RN