Talks ‘inconclusive’, aspiring teachers to continue protest in Patiala

The protesters are demanding notification for recruitment for all 12,000 vacant posts of the TET, ETT teachers, increase in the upper age limit to 42 and revocation of the subject test.

Unemployed ETT, TET-pass teachers have decided to continue their protest on Friday to press their demands after talks with chief principal secretary to chief minister Suresh Kumar remained “inconclusive”.

The protesting aspiring teachers held a two-a-half-half-hour-long meeting to decided whether to suspended their ongoing protest or not after an assurance was given by Kumar that their demands would be considered, but could not have reach a decision. ETT, TET-Pass Unemployed Teachers’ Union leaders, who met Kumar in Chandigarh, said they would continue the protest at PUDA Ground near Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib in Patiala on Friday and again hold a meeting to take a call on their agitation.

The protesters are demanding notification for recruitment for all 12,000 vacant posts of the TET, ETT teachers, increase in the upper age limit to 42 and revocation of the subject test and have threatened to “gherao” chief minister Amarinder Singh’s residence in Patiala next week if the state government fails to accept their demands by March 16.

When contacted, Suresh Kumar said he heard the demands of the union members and would give their representation to the CM. “The CM and the cabinet will decide on their demands. The CM is considering a few things. The retirement age has been reduced to 58 to create employment opportunities. Calculations are being done on the amount of saving and how much new recruitment can be done. The numbers will be worked out in the next 2-3 days,” he said.

Deepak Kamboj, president of the ETT, TET-Pass Unemployed Teachers’ Union, said Kumar told them that the state government would make announcements for education and health sectors on March 16, the day it completes three years in power.

School education secretary Krishan Kumar, OSD to CM Sandeep Sandhu, five members of ETT Unemployed Teachers’ Union and two members of BEd Unemployed Teachers’ Union participated in the meeting. Tehsildar Parmjeet Singh Jindal represented the Patiala administration.