Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday announced to embark a major recruitment drive in the Education department to augment the Human Resource for imparting quality education to the students in the government schools across the state.
The Chief Minister, while addressing the gathering during a state level function to mark Teacher’s Day, said that a large number of posts are lying vacant in the Education department due to which studies are being affected.
He said that in consonance with the commitment of the state government to make Punjab a frontrunner state in education, the state government has decided to start a massive recruitment drive in the education department.Bhagwant Singh Mann said that a large number of posts including campus managers, sanitary workers, chaukidaars and others will be recruited in the coming days.
The Chief Minister, who also felicitated 80 Teachers with state level awards on the occasion of Teacher’s Day, said that ushering in an era of revolution in the state the Punjab government is all set to launch Schools of Eminence in the state.
He said that a budget of Rs 68 crore has been released for setting up these schools and the first school will be dedicated to people on September 13. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this state of the art school will act as a catalyst in providing quality education to the students.
The Chief Minister said that in a bid to transform the schools in the state 10,000 classrooms are being given a new look across Punjab. He said that these classrooms will be equipped with u shape furniture and hi-tech equipment to facilitate the students. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that apart from it 1000 new classes are being constructed in the state.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is laying major thrust of complete overhaul of the Education system in Punjab. He said that the state government is regularly sending batches of school Principals/ teachers to eminent educational institutes within the country and abroad for updating their expertise.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the motive is to ensure that teachers are able to learn about the advanced practices prevailing across the globe in the education sector.Likewise, the Chief Minister said that students are also being sent to ISRO and other institutes for boosting their scientific temperament.
He said that this will enable the students of the government schools to compete with their convent educated peers. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the move is aimed at ensuring the holistic development of students and to enable them to excel in life through hard work.
The Chief Minister said that for the first time in the history of Punjab, Mega Parent Teachers Meeting was organized in Government schools across the state. He said that in this Mega PTM 19 lakh parents took part adding that this exercise of organising the mega PTM will immensely benefit the students.
Bhagwant Singh Mann envisioned that this initiative will help the students to groom well for the coming times.Striking an emotional chord with the teachers, the Chief Minister said that the problem of every teacher will be solved for which the state government is already making all out efforts.
Asserting that he is there to resolve all the issues faced by the teaching fraternity, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that being son of a teacher he knew the problems of the teachers very well adding that he is duty bound to resolve all of them.
He said that the state exchequer belongs to the people and every single penny will be judiciously utilized for the well being of every strata of society.The Chief Minister said that during the last teacher’s day event, he had promised that services of all the contractual teachers will be regularized.
He said that it gives him immense pride and satisfaction to announce that by eliminating the word contractual prefixed before the posts of employees the state government has regularized services of 12710 teachers by overcoming all the legal and administrative hiccups.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that with the regularizing of services every year these teachers will get an annual increment of 5% in their salaries coupled with other benefits including holidays.The Chief Minister also said that the state government is opening eight hi-tech centres for imparting training to the students for competitive exams.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these centres will provide quality training to youth for clearing the UPSC exams and sit on coveted positions in state and country. He said that the target of the state government is to ensure that youth sit in high offices and serve the country.
The Chief Minister further said that the state government will soon launch a bus service for the girl students studying in the government schools. He said that the aim of this scheme is to facilitate the girl students for completing their studies in the government schools.
Bhagwant Mann said that this is a step forward towards ensuring that safety and security of girls studying in these schools is ensured so that they can bring laurels for the state in the education sector.
The Chief Minister said that in order to check the unfortunate trend amongst Patwaris to hire some people for further carrying out their work, biometric attendance will now be compulsory for Patwaris.
He said that this will ensure that Patwaris perform their duty efficiently during the office hours without creating any inconvenience to the people. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government is committed to provide clean, efficient, responsive and transparent administration to the people and no stone will be left unturned for this noble cause.
Earlier, Cabinet Minister Harjot Bains welcomed the Chief Minister and other dignitaries at the event.Prominent amongst others present on the occasion included Cabinet Ministers Kuldeep Dhaliwal, Laljit Bhullar, Balkar Singh, Harbhajan Singh ETO and Dr. Baljit Kaur, Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh, Secretary Education KK Yadav and others were also present.