2 unemployed health workers climb water tank outside minister’s house

Two members of the Unemployed Multipurpose Health Workers (MPHW) Union on Wednesday climbed a water tank outside the residence of Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh, escalating their protest over the demand for age relaxation in the recruitment of 270 medical educator posts.

Makkhan Singh Cheema and Heera Lal of Amritsar said that despite repeated assurances, the government had not granted any relaxation in the upper age limit for the posts advertised by the Health Department. They accused the state government of going back on its promise, recalling that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had publicly assured unemployed youth — including during Rakhar Punnia at Baba Bakala — that those who had crossed the age limit while waiting for recruitment would be allowed to apply.

Union leaders said despite multiple meetings with the Health Minister, over-age candidates were still being denied the chance to appear for the recruitment exam.

Sukhwinder Singh Dhilwan, state president of the Unemployed MPHW Union, said the state government had not only failed to offer jobs to those who became over-age during previous regimes, but also ignored those who crossed the age limit during the nearly four years of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. He claimed that of the estimated 2,200 eligible candidates, around 1,850 had now become over-age, leaving only around 350 within the permissible limits.

The protesters have been sitting on a dharna outside the local Aam Aadmi Clinic, warning that the agitation will continue until the government grants age relaxation. The two men atop the water tank released a video threatening self-immolation if their demands were not met.

Nearly 5,000 individuals completed the medical educator course between 2011 and 2013 at institutes in Kharar, Nabha and Amritsar, respectively. The course was discontinued after 2013.

Only a small number secured jobs in subsequent years, with the last recruitment held in 2020, when 200 educators were appointed. As per government rules, the upper age limit is 37 for the general category candidates and 42 for the reserved categories.

Despite repeated attempts, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh could not be reached for comment.

The stalemate continued as the union members refuse to budge from their stand.