Punjab minister flips coin to decide on posting of lecturers, Cong backs him

Two lecturers wanted to be posted to a government polytechnic institute at Patiala. In order to resolve the issue, Channi decided to toss a coin.

Punjab technical education minister Charanjit Singh Channi reportedly flipped a coin to resolve a stalemate between two lecturers who both wanted to be posted in the same place.

Punjab technical education minister Charanjit Singh Channi. (HT File Photo)

The minister turned to the coin toss while assigning 37 new lecturers in technical education institutions, said a teacher who did not want to be named.

The minister couldn’t be reached for comment.

Political leaders were allegedly pushing the case of some of these lecturers to work in institutions of their choice. Given the pressure, Channi invited the recruits and asked them to give him their preferences.

The teacher, who was present during the meeting said: “The minister told them that he would send them to their place of choice, but under one condition. He warned that those who won’t deliver will be transferred to far-flung areas.”

The lecturers agreed and all went smoothly for 35 posts, but the minister was stuck when two recruits refused to budge from their choice of Bareta in Mansa, the teacher said.

Channi asked them to go out of his office for a while and settle the deadlock between themselves. “But they returned and asked the minister to take a call. So he made a final decision by tossing a coin,” the teacher said.

Channi has been in the news before for his academic pursuits, riding an elephant, and building an alley to his official home through a park.