CHANDIGARH: Members of the 180 ETT (Elementary Teacher Training) Teachers Union, accompanied by their families, staged a protest outside Punjab finance minister Harpal Cheema’s residence over their demands. They were later detained by police.A protester alleged that the union has been seeking justice for 10 years and demanded the suspension of an Education Department clerk whom they accused of orchestrating irregularities in the recruitment process.“We are demanding the suspension of the Education Department clerk who orchestrated such a massive scam to accommodate his own people. We are fighting for our rights,” the protester said.The protesters alleged that the education minister and finance minister had said they lacked the authority to suspend the clerk and would arrange a meeting with the chief minister, but claimed no action had followed.Another protester said the teachers were originally recruited in 2016 but were later dismissed over alleged flaws in the recruitment process. They were subsequently reinstated following a court order.The protester alleged that an IAS report later found that the issue arose due to the clerk’s error and that the 180 ETT teachers were not at fault. The protesters said they had held multiple meetings over the past week but had not received justice.(With inputs from ANI)
