Despite exemption by the election commission, 33 physically disabled teachers and those suffering from chronic illnesses have been assigned duties for the upcoming Punjab panchayat elections, as per the information from the educators. This has sparked outrage among educators, who are demanding immediate relief from the administration.
Government School Teachers’ Union, Punjab, secretary Tehal Singh Sarabha said that many of these teachers suffer from chronic diseases include liver and heart diseases, various cancers among others and would not be able to devote long hours. “Somehow they are performing their teaching duties, but if deployed on election duty, they will have to devote the whole day of 14 October till midnight of October 15. The teachers would have to be present at the polling station throughout this duration which is not ideal for them,” he added.
The Democratic Teachers Front (DTF) mentioned that they have repeatedly raised this issue with additional deputy commissioner (rural development) Harjinder Singh. However, no solution has been provided so far. DTF members submitted a formal demand letter and have met with the ADC multiple times, but the situation remains unresolved.
Daljit Singh, district president of DTF, expressed concern over the deployment of 33 Ludhiana district teachers with chronic illnesses. “These teachers have already attended one election rehearsal and have been called for another on Friday. With elections scheduled for October 15, when will they be exempted? There is hardly any time left,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Daljit Singh, district president of DTF, expressed concern over the deployment of 33 Ludhiana district teachers with chronic illnesses. “These teachers have already attended one election rehearsal and have been called for another on Friday. With elections scheduled for October 15, when will they be exempted? There is hardly any time left,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Gurpreet Singh, secretary of DTF, explained that the administration had assured them on October 6 that genuine cases would be exempted. “We followed up for two consecutive days, but we were told that only 6 to 7 teachers would be exempted out of 33, which goes against the set rules,” he stated.
Ravinder Singh Bhangu, president of DTF Ludhiana-1 block, highlighted that nearly six physically disabled teachers have also been assigned election duties. “This has affected teaching as well, with many schools set to close from October 11 to 17 due to the absence of staff,” he added.
When asked about the issue, ADC Harjinder Singh stated that medical teams have been formed to verify the cases. Sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) and senior medical officers (SMOs) will review the teachers’ health status before making exemptions and the ones with chronic diseases would surely be exempted.
If the exemptions are not granted soon, teachers plan to hold protests.