Unemployed teachers have camped outside Punjab Education minister Pargat Singh’s Jalandhar residence and started the hunger strike today. The protestors claim that government has failed in fulfilling their demands forcing them to camp outside the minister’s house.
So far, there are no details about whether the strike is indefinite or will end in a few days.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Federation of University and College Teacher Organizations (Pfacto) continues their strike at the Panjab University campus. If their demands are not met, the organisation
has threatened to gherao Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's residence on November 23.
The hunger strike comes amid outrage among unemployed teachers over the job opportunities in the state. Teachers have staged multiple protests in state along with outside Pargat Singh’s
Jalandhar residence, following which he assured around 20 thousand recruitment in the education department by November 30, 2021.
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On November 8, the teachers staged a protest outside the home of Education Minister Pargat Singh to oppose the illegal abuse of 180 teachers under the banner of the United Teachers Front
Punjab.
During this time, the administration convened a meeting on the spot with Union Secretary and Education Secretary Ajay Sharma, after which the latter informed that the file of 180 ETT teachers
has been sent to the finance department for approval.
"The issue will be resolved soon," he assured.
All at the same, the education secretary has scheduled the meeting for November 11th, but the union has threatened to take measures if the problem is not resolved by then. The teachers ended the dharna after Ajay Sharma's assurance.