Punjab: Reminding AAP of it’s pre-poll promise, unemployed PTI teachers protest outside education minister’s residence

The unemployed teachers, who are demanding jobs as Physical Training Instructors (PTI) in state government schools, alleged that in November last year, Kejriwal had met protesting teachers in Mohali and promised that once AAP comes to power in Punjab, the merit list for recruitment of 646 PTI teachers, which is lying pending since 2011, will be issued on priority.

Unemployed teachers protest outside residence of Punjab education minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer in Barnala, Sunday.

“It was only after Kejriwal’s assurance that we had come down from the water tank in January, almost after spending three months atop the water tank. He was also accompanied by Bhagwant Mann and Gagan Anmol Maan. But now when AAP is in power, it seems they have forgotten all their promises,” said Sippy Sharma, one of the unemployedPTI teachers who had spent three months atop a water tank.

Buy Now , Our best subscription plan now has a special price

Meanwhile, the police used a mild force to disperse protesting teachers outside the residence of the education minister in Barnala on Sunday. Later they were promised a meeting with the minister on June 2. “It was in 2011 that the vacancies for 646 PTI teachers in the education department were advertised and we applied. But the successful SAD-BJP and Congress governments failed to issue merit list and even made TET test compulsory for us. But the HC ruled in our favor and said that PTI teachers are not required to clear TET as it is not related to our domain. AAP had promised that once it comes to power, our merit list which is pending for 11 years, will be issued. If the matter is not resolved in the meeting, we will again climb a tank,” said Arvinder Gill, the union’s media coordinator.