Vowing to intensify their stir against the Congress government over it's refusal to regularise their jobs without a pay cut, agitating teachers in Punjab will observe 'black' Diwali on Wednesday, they said on Tuesday. The announcement comes a day after their scheduled meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to resolve the issue on Monday was cancelled after the agitators failed to call of their protest.

"We will intensify our stir now. We will observe black Diwali tomorrow (Wednesday),"said Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha's state committee member Bikramjit Singh on Tuesday. "Groups of teachers dressed in black will take out protest marches in busy markets of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar, Rupnagar, Bathinda and Hoshiarpur. Teachers will also carry placards mentioning their demands," he added.