Punjab to give legal sanctity to transfer policy for teachers

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 20

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday gave in-principle approval to a legislation on the teacher transfer policy in the Vidhan Sabha, while announcing Rs 500 per month increase in the salaries of mid-day meal workers.

He gave consent for the distribution of another 2.14 lakh smartphones to Class XII government school students this year.

The enactment of the legislation would give legal sanctity to the teacher transfer policy, introduced by his government in 2019 to make the entire process transparent, efficient and corruption-free, said the Chief Minister, pointing out that since the policy was brought in, not a single complaint of corruption had been received with respect to the transfer of school teachers.

Under the policy, which has now also been extended to non-teaching staff, of 1.12 lakh teachers, 21,600 teachers had availed the benefit so far.

On the issue of salary hike for the mid-day meal workers, the Chief Minister said it was a long-pending demand of the workers, who had got a hike last in 2017. The move would benefit 42,000 workers in 19,000 schools.The Chief Minister further announced that the process of the distribution of 2.14 lakh more smartphones would commence within three months, with budget allocation already made for 2020-21.

Pointing out that 1.75 lakh students studying in Class XII had already been provided smartphones in 2020-21, the Chief Minister said in addition, 3,502 tablets had already been provided to the students of government schools, while Rs 5.25 crore had been kept aside for e-libraries.

School Education Secretary Krishan Kumar said 250 schools would be upgraded in 2020-21, with a draft policy for the same already sent to the Finance Department for approval.

Enrolment in government schools had registered an increase of 15.07 per cent with 27.20 lakh students enrolled during 2020-21, he added.