Incentive for promoting Punjabi rolled back, says SAD

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked the state government why it has withdrawn a provision to give marks in annual confidential report of teachers for promoting Punjabi language in schools.

Former Education Minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said during the tenure of the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party government there was a provision in the annual confidential report (ACR) of teachers to give eight marks to those who promote Punjabi language, but the Congress has done away with the provision and instead has started giving five marks to those who promote English language.

According to the former minister of the state, earlier the government had made a provision to give five marks to those teachers who teach 10 per cent students of their class in English and the decision to abolish eight marks for promoting Punjabi language means that those who are pro Punjabi will lose 13 marks.

Dr Daljit Singh Cheema has written to Higher Education and Language Department Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and apprised him about the development.

He said it should be ascertained that on whose instance this decision has been taken and guilty should be punished.