Punjagutta police foiled a protest bid by selected teacher candidates outside Pragathi Bhavan demanding postings, on Saturday.
In all, police took 79 candidates, including women, who reached the camp office in groups from several districts, into preventive custody and moved them to Shahinayathgunj police station before letting them go.
Punjagutta ACP M. Thirupathanna said the protesters came in batches starting around 7.30 a.m., 8 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. and were taken into custody before they could approach the police outpost outside Pragathi Bhavan.
The selected candidates, under the aegis of Unemployed Joint Action Committee, came from erstwhile Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Mahabubnagar, Khammam, Warangal, Medak, Rangareddy and Nalgonda districts.
Chairman of Unemployed JAC N. Venkatesh said that a total of 8,792 candidates were selected for teacher posts through TRT, around two years ago. Even the certificates of selected candidates were verified amid controversies about eight months ago, and the list sent to the CMO, six months ago, for clearance. However, the State Government did not show any urgency. The candidates had even approached the SHRC and NHRC, but to no avail.
National Backward Classes Welfare Association president R. Krishnaish said the vacancies were not being filled for the last nine years, although about 50,000 teachers had retired. He alleged that postings were delayed to close down more government schools.
Secondary Grade Teachers’ Union condemned the arrests. State president S. Madhusudhana Rao and general secretary K. Mahipal Reddy said it was wrong on the part of the Government to not issue the appointment orders. Mr. Krishnaiah along with Telangana BC Welfare Association president Y. Satyanarayana, State BC Struggle Committee president Narsimha Goud went to Shahinayathgunj police station to express his solidarity with the selected candidates. He spoke to Education Minister G. Jagadeesh Reddy and stated that he had assured the postings soon.