The physical education unemployed graduates have deferred their plan to stage a protest meeting at Jantar Manta in Delhi after Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Sunday assured them that their demands would be looked into by the State Cabinet in its next meeting. The federation of physical education trained unemployed had threatened on Saturday that since the State Government was not listening to their demands they would take their agitation to Delhi and protest at Jantar Mantar.
A delegation of the federation under the leadership of their State president Sundar Dhoni met Chief Minister Harish Rawat at his residence on Sunday. In the meeting Rawat assured them that the Cabinet would take up their issue in its meeting of February 19. The president of the federation Sundar Dhoni said that they were sitting on a dharna at the old Raipur bus stand near the Parade Ground from last 156 days and their patience was fast waning. He said that if their demands were not addressed soon than then they would intensify their stir.
The federation is demanding that the Uttarakhand Government should create a post of physical education teacher in the primary and middle schools of the State. Compulsion of Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) qualification by Human Resources Development Ministry of Central Government for appointments in the primary and middle schools came as a blow for the job prospects of these youths as physical education degree holders were barred from sitting in the TET examination. Earlier the State Government used to appoint these degree holders in primary schools as assistant teachers like a Bachelor of Education (B. Ed) or a Basic Training Certificate (B.T.C) qualified candidate.