Teachers block an entry to the DC Complex in protest against “additional duties” in Amritsar on Monday.
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As non-academic survey duties become a growing bone of contention between the Punjab Government and government schoolteachers, the Amritsar district administration has declared a viral recruitment pamphlet for a drug-related social survey to be fake.
Since Saturday, a pamphlet purportedly seeking the recruitment and training of individuals for survey work in the Amritsar South constituency from June 15, 2026, has been widely circulated on social media. The pamphlet claims that enumerators would be hired on a salary of Rs 62,500 to conduct a door-to-door survey in the area.
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However, Amritsar Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Jai Inder Singh on Monday categorically dismissed the advertisement as fake, stating that its contents were entirely false and misleading.
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“No such recruitment is being carried out, and the viral pamphlet is completely false. This appears to be an attempt to defraud and mislead people,” Singh said.
He clarified that the Punjab Government was currently conducting a socio-economic census, for which only government employees and staff of government-aided institutions had been engaged.
“No services of other individuals are being utilised for this survey, nor is any fresh recruitment being undertaken for the purpose,” he said. Singh appealed to residents of Amritsar South and the general public to remain cautious of advertisements, pamphlets or social media posts claiming recruitment for survey work in exchange for honoraria or monetary compensation.
He said such advertisements were entirely fake and misleading, and urged people not to place trust in these.
He warned that strict legal action would be initiated against anyone found issuing fake advertisements or spreading misleading information with the intention of deceiving or defrauding the public.
Meanwhile, teachers on Monday staged a protest at the DC Complex here against the “imposition of bulk duties” related to the drug survey, socio-economic census, and Census-2027.
During the protest, members of the Sanjha Adhiyapak Morcha, Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), School Lecturer Union, Master Cadre Union, and the Aided School Staff Union gheraoed the DC office in Amritsar. Hundreds of teachers from across the district participated in the protest, alleging that mounting non-academic responsibilities and overlapping assignments were adversely affecting classroom teaching.
DTF member Jarmanjit Singh said: “Government teachers have been burdened with various non-academic duties for the past two months, directly affecting education. Teachers are working as BLOs, undertaking SIR duties and conducting the drug survey, while also performing responsibilities under Mission Samarth.
“The Punjab Government had initially claimed that the drug survey would be voluntary. However, it has now been made mandatory, even for teachers who had already completed their Census duties in the first phase.”
A pamphlet, since declared fake by the administration, purportedly seeking the recruitment and training of individuals for survey work in the Amritsar South area has been widely circulated on social media.
Following the protest, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) Rupinder Pal Singh held a meeting with representatives of the teachers’ unions, after which several immediate decisions were announced. The ADC said the salaries of 135 teachers withheld for not participating in the drug survey would be released immediately. He added that BLOs, teachers suffering from chronic illnesses, educators with disabilities, pregnant teachers, and educators caring for young children would be exempt from all survey-related duties, including the drug survey.
In addition, teachers who completed first-phase Census-2027 duties between May 15 and June 13 would not be assigned to the drug survey, he said