College lecturers among 12 injured in Tarn Taran accident
Twelve college lecturers and librarians were injured in a road accident on Sunday while travelling on National Highway No. 54 near Sarhali village.
They were on their way to the Gidderbaha Vidhan Sabha constituency to protest against the state government over delayed appointments. The injured individuals were part of a group of 25 members from the ‘1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front, Punjab,’ who have been struggling for over three years to be appointed to their posts.
According to Baljinder Singh, a leader of the front, the group was travelling in a Tempo Traveller when their vehicle collided with a truck coming from the wrong side. The accident occurred due to smog, which had reduced visibility. As a result, 12 lecturers and librarians were seriously injured and rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Sarhali. Some of the injured included Gurpreet Kaur, Simranjit Kaur and Pawan.
A police team from Sarhali arrived at the scene, and the injured were initially treated at the CHC, Sarhali. However, due to limited medical facilities, they were later referred to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. Locals also assisted in the rescue operation.
Baljinder Singh blamed the accident on the negligence of the state government, accusing it of being indifferent to the struggle of the lecturers and librarians. He said of the 1,158 selected candidates, 600 had been allowed to join their duties, while the remaining 411 were still waiting for their appointments.
Meanwhile, PCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and his wife Congress candidate from Gidderbaha Amrita condemned the state government for its alleged indifference toward the plight of members of the front. They claimed the struggle of those who got injured while on their way to Gidderbaha would not go in vain.
