By: Express News ServiceLudhiana | September 15, 2025 12:44 AM IST 2 min readAnnouncing the protest in the coming week against the Punjab government's “lethargic approach,” the PCCTU said campus rallies would be held in all colleges on September 16Intensifying their stir against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government, the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) on Sunday announced a two-day protest across the state and a sit-in at the native village of Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, demanding over five months’ pending salaries of teachers and staff from 136 aided colleges.Announcing the protest in the coming week against the Punjab government’s “lethargic approach,” the PCCTU said campus rallies would be held in all colleges on September 16 to raise awareness among students about the state’s “financial crisis and its adverse impact on education”.On September 19, the PCCTU said, the teachers will observe a mass casual leave.“PCCTU members will gather at Ghambirpur, the native village of Bains, at Anandpur Sahib in Ropar district, and sit on a dharna to protest the minister’s ineffective handling of higher education issues,” according to a PCCTU statement.PCCTU Ludhiana district secretary Dr Sunder Singh said, “After several protests, the salary for March was released recently. The salary for five months from April to August is still pending. Never before have we seen such a government, which keeps the salaries of teachers pending for five months. An unofficial financial emergency has been declared by the AAP government.”PCCTU Ludhiana district president Dr Chamkaur Singh said, “The AAP government has declared that an unofficial financial emergency has been imposed in Punjab. The staff from 136 aided colleges in Punjab, including gardeners, sweepers, non-teaching, and teaching staff, have not received salaries for the past five months. The salary for March was released recently, that too after protests.”“PCCTU representatives met Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and other officials such as the finance secretary, the higher education secretary and the treasury secretary. Each time, they were assured that the grant would be released soon, but the situation remains unchanged,” Chamkaur Singh alleged.Story continues below this ad“In my 30-year career, I have never seen such a helpless and hollow government, where there is no coordination between bureaucrats and ministers. It is the first time that I have witnessed a government failing to pay college professors for six consecutive months,” Dr Rohit, a PCCTU member, said.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Punjab AAPteachers protest