Video of Punjab teachers pouncing for free food goes viral, education dept summons principals

Chandigarh, May 18: A video of school teachers and principals of Punjab jostling and fighting to grab a plate of free lunch is surfacing on the internet. After the video went viral, the Punjab education department has summoned some school principals, stating that the “image” of the department has been “severely tarnished." In a letter issued by the office of Punjab’s Director General of Secondary Education (DGSE), the educators have been asked to appear before the department. The letter issued on Tuesday states that it was an act of “indiscipline” which has “tarnished the image of the education department”. According to the notice, seven people who were identified in the video — three principals, three headmasters, and one block primary education officer – will report to the education department head office in Mohali on May 20 or face departmental action. Five of the seven teachers summoned are from the Fazilka district, while two are from Gurdaspur. Fazilka and Gurdaspur district education officers (DEOs) have also been called. Also Read | Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann terms farmers protest "Unnecessary", asks them to support govt The incident occurred on Tuesday when Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann convened a meeting with teachers and principals to discuss educational reforms. Hours later, they were seen going berserk in a resort, fighting over free food. The video showed a rush at the venue, with teachers and principals from different schools crowded around a table. Initially, someone who appeared to be a meeting staff member tried to keep things organised. However, the impatient school staff did not appear to like the idea and began grabbing plates on their own. The incident was captured in a video and later went viral on Twitter. The video quickly surpassed 5 lakh views, leaving people stunned. After seeing the video, netizens slammed the education staff over their "unruly behaviour," and wonder if they are actually teachers. Also Read| ‘Kisan Morcha’ Highlights: Protesting farmers sit on dharna on Mohali-Chandigarh border -PTC News