Teachers condemn distant poll duties

The Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), Jalandhar unit, has strongly condemned the administration for assigning teachers election duties at far-off locations for the upcoming Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections.

In a press statement issued recently by front district president Kulwinder Singh Joshan, secretary Jasvir Singh Sandhu, finance secretary Amreek Singh Senior, and vice-president Rajwinder Singh Dhanju, the organisation expressed serious concern over the “hardship” being caused to schoolteachers.

According to the DTF, many teachers have been allotted election duty at three different locations, making it impossible to report at all of these on time.

“Teachers who fail to attend a second or third assigned duty are allegedly being issued notices, forcing them into avoidable stress and unnecessary visits to administrative offices to respond,” a DTF member alleged.

The front claimed that several polling duty locations were as far as 70 km from the teachers’ residences, causing difficulty and financial burden.

Teacher leaders have urged the Election Commission to exempt widows, divorced women, mothers of young children, and pregnant women from election duties.

The Democratic Teachers Front has demanded urgent attention to these issues, stating that teachers should not be subjected to “undue pressure or hardship” while fulfilling election-related responsibilities.