PUNJAB MINISTER FLIPS COIN TO POST LECTURERS

CHANDIGARH: Political leaders were allegedly pushing the case of some of these lecturers to work in institutions of their choice. Given the pressure, Channi invited the recruits and asked them to give him their preferences.

The teacher, who was present during the meeting said: “The minister told them that he would send them to their place of choice, but under one condition. He warned that those who won’t deliver will be transferred to farflung areas.”

The lecturers agreed and all went smoothly for 35 posts, but the minister was stuck when two recruits refused to budge from their choice of Bareta in Mansa, the teacher said.

Channi asked them to go out of his office for a while and settle the deadlock between themselves. “But they returned and asked the minister to take a call. So he made a final decision by tossing a coin,” the teacher said.

The minister, in a press release on Tuesday, however claimed that the impasse was decided by tossing a coin “based on a proposition made by the two contenders themselves”.

He also hailed the process as the “first instance in the history of the technical education department” when lecturers were allotted stations “in a transparent manner, as per their choice”.

He said it was “very unfortunate” that instead of highlighting the welcome step taken by his department, a section of media “ignored the facts and presented baseless sensational news”.

Channi said government employees can be posted anywhere without anyone’s consent, but he opted for “transparency”.