Transfer row, pending demands spur teachers’ protests in city

Members of the 4161 Master Cadre Union staged a protest on Ferozepur Road near Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana today, expressing their anger over issues related to transfers.

State president Gurmel Singh Kulrian stated during the protest that the union had held several meetings with Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains regarding the matter. In those meetings, the minister had assured them that the 4161 Master Cadre teachers would be included in the general transfer drive scheduled for 2025. However, when the transfer portal recently opened, there were no options listed for the 4161 Master Cadre category.

When union leaders approached officials from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for clarification, they were informed that no such instructions had been received from the Education Minister. The union leaders, reminding the minister of his earlier commitment, demanded the immediate inclusion of the 4161 Master Cadre teachers in the current general transfer drive. They stated that many teachers are currently posted hundreds of kilometres away from their homes, making it difficult to manage both their professional duties and family responsibilities.

Following minor scuffles with the police, the protest concluded with an announcement that a meeting with the Education Minister is scheduled for June 17.

In a separate demonstration, the Adarsh School Teaching and Non-Teaching Employees Union Punjab, led by state president Jasvir Singh Galoti along with Sukhdeep Kaur Saran, Meenu Bala and Saleem Muhammad, addressed a press conference regarding their own demands.

They stated that due to the continued refusal of Adarsh Schools’ current chairman Bhagwant Singh Mann to meet with them, the union held a protest rally from Ludhiana Bus Stand to the nearby Gol Chowk.

Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ludhiana, Komal Preet, assured the union that a letter confirming a meeting with the Chief Minister would be sent to them by tomorrow.