Teacher unions oppose ‘forced registration’ in P4 scheme, demand voluntary participation

Teacher unions in Andhra Pradesh have strongly objected to what they describe as coercive tactics being used to register them as mentors under the government’s ‘P4’ (Public-Private-People Partnership) initiative. They have demanded that participation in the poverty-eradication drive be made entirely voluntary.

Member of the A.P. Legislative Council from the Progressive Democratic Front (PDF), B. Gopi Murthy, on Sunday called for the immediate suspension of the “forced” registration of teachers as P4 guides and mentors. “Individuals may be encouraged to volunteer, but issuing circulars through Collectors and District Educational Officers (DEOs) making it mandatory is unacceptable,” he said. If such practices are not halted, his party, he warned, would join hands with teacher unions to launch a protest.

The Andhra Pradesh Teachers Federation (APTF-1938) also reiterated that the registration process must remain voluntary. Its State president, G. Hrudayaraju, pointed out that many teachers were already assisting the underprivileged without being compelled. He added that in some districts, officials were insisting on the mandatory adoption of ‘Bangaru families,’ which undermines the spirit of voluntary service.

Similarly, the Andhra Pradesh United Teachers Federation condemned what it termed as “forced” registration of government school headmasters and teachers as mentors. Federation leaders N. Venkateswarlu and K. S. S. Prasad claimed that teachers were being pressured by DEOs through online links, with instructions to complete their registration within two days. As per these directives, each headmaster is expected to adopt five families, while every teacher must adopt two.

The union leaders criticised the government’s approach, stating that the lukewarm public response to the Chief Minister’s appeal for P4 participation had led to undue pressure being placed on government employees. They also voiced their dissatisfaction with the government for not releasing any Dearness Allowance (DA) during the past year, delaying the appointment of a Commissioner for the 12th Pay Revision Commission, and failing to clear pending arrears amounting to ₹20,000 crore. They suggested that elected representatives and senior bureaucrats should first step forward to adopt families under the P4 scheme before expecting grassroots employees to participate.