Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that the state government would soon set up a Regulatory Authority for Private Schools to put in place a transparent mechanism for ensuring uniform pattern of fee structure and other admissible charges.Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of his Sangat Darshan program on the second day in Nawanshahr Assembly Constituency, the Chief Minister said that this initiative has been taken by following several complaints received from the aggrieved parents against the erring private schools managements, which were indulging in malpractices for overcharging fees and other charges arbitrarily. The Chief Minister hoped that this step would not only regulate the fee structure but also save the hapless students from sheer exploitation at the hands of delinquent private school managements.
Asked to comment on the issue of Punjabi language being discontinued in government run schools in Delhi by the AAP government, Mr. Badal termed this step as most unfortunate and anti-Punjabi. He said that Delhi had a major chunk of Punjabis in its cosmopolitan population and it was highly deplorable and contemptuous for Kejriwal government to deprive Punjabi language, the mother tongue of Punjabis of its due status and recognition.On the massive recruitment drive in core departments of Education and Health, the Chief Minister said that these two departments were being accorded the top priority in filling the vacancies so as to provide the best education and health care facilities to the people. He said the detailed instructions had already been issued to the Education Department to fill vacant posts of teachers in advance, which were likely to fill vacant on their superannuation.Addressing the people on the Sangat Darshan program, the Chief Minister said that none could deter him from holding of his pet program aimed at direct interaction with masses, which offered a healthy platform to resolve their grievances on the spot to their satisfaction.
He said his opponents especially the Congress leadership severely criticized him on this count but even they could not dissuade him to abandon this program for which he was passionately involved and considered it as the most effective mechanism to redress the hardships of the people in a democratic manner.
Mr. Badal mentioned even the Punjab & Haryana High Court also vindicated his unequivocal stand on Sangat Darshan program by justifying it as a legitimate right of the Chief Minister to carry out this program for the overall development of the state and welfare of its people, being their elected representative.Prominent amongst others who were present on the Sangat Darshan included senior Akali leader and Chairman MARKFED Mr. Jarnail Singh Wahad, Joint Special Principal Secretary to CM Mr. Kumar Amit, DIG Ludhiana Range Mr. SK Kalia, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Vipul Ujjwal, SSP Mr. Snehdeep Sharma, District President SAD Baba Ram Singh and SGPC member Jathedar Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa.