Blowing whistles and raising slogans, a large number of angry physical education trainers (PET) aspiring for government posts staged high voltage protests near the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium here on Thursday.
Some of the protesters climbed an overhead water tank near the Stadium and threatened to jump off while demanding that the government fill up all the 1,056 vacant posts of PETs across the State. The aspirants also showed up with knives threatening to end lives till police stepped in and struggled to foil their bid. Tension prevailed in the area following the incidents.
The protesters alleged that the government, which in the Legislative Assembly promised to fill up all the 1,056 PET posts, has issued a notification for recruitment of only about 47 PETs, that too in select districts.
“The Andhra Pradesh government has made teacher eligibility test (TET) mandatory for PET aspirants though there is no such norm in any other State. We have passed the TET and many are waiting for filling up of all posts as promised. Now the government decides to fill up only a few posts causing hundreds of aspirants to worry,” said an aspirant speaking to media.
“According to the new decision, there were no posts in eight districts of the State, but aspirants in all those districts invested time and money for preparation for months,” he added. The protesters demanded immediate release of a revised notification to fill up all the posts lying vacant for years.
Police personnel stepped in and detained the protesters bringing the situation under control. The protesters who climbed the tank came down after police approached them and assured help.
Earlier, aspirants took a rally from the railway station to Dharna Chowk at Alankar Centre and staged protests.