Mohali: Four physical education teachers climb water tank during protest

Demanding regular government jobs, four unemployed physical education teachers from Punjab scaled a water tank near Singh Shaheedan Gurdwara in Sohana in the wee hours on Monday

Demanding regular government jobs, four unemployed physical education teachers from Punjab scaled a water tank near Singh Shaheedan Gurdwara in Sohana in the wee hours on Monday.

Physical education teachers staging a protest over their demand for regular jobs in Mohali on Monday. (HT Photo)

At around 3 am on Monday, the teachers climbed the water tank using wooden ladders, claiming that the state government has failed to meet their long-pending demand of providing jobs. Hundreds of teachers are currently protesting at the site.

“The Punjab government had advertised 4,161 posts of master cadre teachers, of which 168 were for physical education teachers. We had taken the PSTET exam and the state had released the list of teachers who had qualified. However, orders have now been issued to conduct the selection process for physical education teachers again, and we have now been asked to take the PSTET-2, which is illegal,” said Jasbir Singh, member of the DPE union.

The protesting teachers added that a panel meeting was held on 30 December 2022, in which representatives of the education minister, DGSE, DPI and SCERT were present, who had assured that their issues will be resolved in seven days, but nothing has been done so far.

“Even Delhi CM and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal had assured us and the PTE teachers that he will provide us jobs after winning in Punjab, but the promise has not been fulfilled,” the protesters said.