As promised, the Punjab government regularised 12,710 contractual teachers on Friday, July 28. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann handed over the regularisation letters to the teachers working for the state education department at a function in Chandigarh and called it a "historic day".
Mann said that after assuming office he had laid emphasis on regularising these teachers' services by overcoming all legal and administrative hiccups as the teachers could transform students' lives only when their own future was secured. He added that every year, a five per cent increment will be given to the teachers along with other benefits, as per a report by PTI.
According to an official statement, the teachers, including those with BA degrees (associate teachers), who were getting Rs 9,500 per month will now get Rs 20,500 per month as an emolument. Teachers with elementary teacher training and nursery teacher training qualifications will get Rs 22,000 as against Rs 10,250 per month earlier. Similarly, teachers with BA/MA BEd degrees who are getting Rs 11,000 at present will get a salary of Rs 23,500 per month.
Previously, the state government had decided that the teachers would only render teaching-related services and no other non-teaching duty would be assigned to them. Mann said that the Union government demanded 66,000 teachers for conducting a census in the state but he refused and asked them to enrol unemployed youth, adding that it would help the youth to get firsthand knowledge of government work.
The chief minister also announced a bus service for students studying in government schools at the event. The pilot project will be launched for 20,000 students, including 12,000 girls and 8,000 boys, he said. A budget of Rs 21 crore has been allocated for this scheme and its main aim is to help girl students enrolled in government schools to complete their studies.
Mann said the buses would be equipped with a GPS device so that the girls' parents can track their movement. "It is a step towards ensuring the safety and security of girls studying in these schools," the CM emphasised, as per PTI.
