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Unemployed BEd teachers protest near CM’s residence in Patiala
Protesters seek recruitment notification for at least 15,000 vacant posts of teachers
The TET-pass Unemployed BEd Teachers’ Union protested near the YPS Chowk in city on Wednesday over their demands of employment. They took out a protest march towards the residence of Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, but were stopped.
On Wednesday, the teachers gathered in Nehru Park near the bus stand and after 3pm started to march towards the CM’s residence. However, cops stopped them near YPS Chowk, where the latter staged a protest and raised slogans against the state government.
The teachers’ demands include issuing of recruitment notification by the state government for at least 15,000 vacant posts of TET BEd teachers, raising upper age limit to 42 years, unemployment allowance of ₹2,500, and ending condition of 55% marks in graduation for backlog posts in the handicap quota.
Besides, they also want financial assistance of ₹10 lakh for Jagsir Singh, a resident of Mansa, who had committed suicide at his home last year after failing to get a job.
Sukhwinder Dhilvan, president of the union, said, “It has been six months since we are protesting outside the residence of state education minister Vijay Inder Single in Sangrur and have suffered canecharge on six different occasions. And yet, the state government is not listening to our genuine demands.”
“There are around 50,000 TET-pass unemployed BEd teachers in Punjab. However, the state government had issued employment notification for just 2182 posts,” he added.
Randeep Sangatpura, an unemployed teacher, said, “We concluded the protest at YPS Chowk after the administration assured of a meeting with Suresh Kumar, chief principal secretary to the Punjab CM, on March 12. We will, however, continue the protest in Nehru Park near the bus stand.”
Meanwhile, the protest by the ETT TET-Pass Unemployed Teachers’ Union at PUDA Grounds near Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib, entered Day 4.
Deepak Kamboj, president of the union, said, “If the state government fails to resolve our issues we will protest outside the CM’s residence in Patiala again on March 14.”
