Medical teachers launch chain hunger strike

Tribune News Service

Patiala, November 2

On a call given by the state body of Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers Association, medical and dental teachers of government medical and dental colleges in Patiala have started a chain hunger strike from today to press the government to accept their long-pending demands.

On day one, the batch of faculty on hunger strike included Dr Avnish Kumar, Dr Navjot Singh Khurana, Dr Vijay Kumar Bodal, Dr Paras Pandav and Dr DS Bhullar.

According to state general secretary of the association Dr DS Bhullar, the state government has already agreed to our demands in principle many a times but has failed to implement these, triggering strong protest by the faculty.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had agreed to the demand of time-bound promotions with financial benefits in one of his meetings with the association but now the government has backtracked from its promise which had forced us for protests, said Dr Bhullar. 

He said the protest would continue till their demands were accepted. “We urge Minister for Medical Education and Research Anil Joshi to take up our demands on priority with the Chief Minister and give us justice,” he added.