Chandigarh: Government medical, dental teachers protest for retirement extension, promotions

Patiala: Faculty with the government medical and dental colleges in the state organised a protest putting forward their long term demands before the state government. A demonstration to this effect was organised at the Rajindra Hospital, where the demonstrators accused the government of step motherly treatment.

The problem package being put forth by the Government Medical and Dental College teachers of Punjab to the state government included time-bound promotions, increase in retirement age to 65 years, earned leave, vacations and holidays and other local problems.

The teacher protestors in a sour mood, raised slogans against the state Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal and his adviser Dr KK Talwar.

Talking about the issues raised by them, the protesting teachers stated that time bound promotions and extension of retirement age were two resolvable demands.

Talking about retirement age being extended to 65 years for colleges under the Punjab Government, they said that institutions like AIIMS-New Delhi, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College under Baba Farid University of Heath Sciences, and PGI-Chandigarh all enjoyed retirement at 65 years; unlike the medical institutions under the Punjab Government.

“The Punjab Government has utterly failed to follow the guidelines of the Medical Council of India and the directive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by not increasing the retirement age of its medical and dental faculty to 65 years. If the state government fails to take the corrective measures by increasing retirement age of its teachers, it will result in acute shortage of faculty in the coming months, in violation of the norms of the Medical Council of India,” added Dr DS Bhullar, General Secretary of the Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers’ Association.

The demonstrating faculty demanded that the State Chief Minister personally take up the issue of their demands and have them fulfilled, or else they would be forced to resort to an intensified protest action.