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Punjab MLA Hostel: Protesting teacher climbs atop mobile tower
Seeking regularisation and restoration of old salary, he also threatens to set himself on fire when police and firemen tried to remove him from atop the tower at Punjab MLA Hostel in Chandigarh
Protesting against being put on probation and subsequent salary cut, an elementary teacher from Barnala on Saturday climbed atop a mobile tower at the Punjab MLA Hostel in Sector 4, Chandigarh, and threatened to immolate himself.
According to police, Swarn Singh — an ETT (elementary teacher training) qualified teacher posted at a primary school in Barnala’s Badri area — managed to climb up the tower around 4 am. He was first spotted by the staff of the MLA hostel.
Police and fire tenders were rushed to the spot. However, when efforts were made to remove him, the protester pour some petrol on himself and threatened to self-immolate.
The protester said that he was recruited as a teacher along with around 6,700 ETT-qualified people during the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) regime in 2016. However, when the Congress came to power, he was put on probation in 2018 and his salary was reduced from ₹65,000 to ₹25,000.
He is demanding that his file seeking regularisation and restoration of old salary, which is pending with the education department, be cleared immediately.
The teacher was still sitting atop the tower till the filing of this report late in the evening. Among others, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia reached out to Swarn Singh. Badal reportedly also talked to Punjab education minister Pargat Singh on the issue.
