The Punjab Education Department today clarified that it has not issued any instructions regarding appointing teachers as nodal officers to check Open Defecation.Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, Education Minister issuing clarification on this issue said that while education department was fully committed to motivate people in the Swachh Bharat campaign but teachers, whose primary job was teaching, have not been assigned this duty by the department. He clarified that there are no instructions or order from the department of School Education regarding engaging the school teachers for motivating the general people for avoid of open defecation.
He said that however it has come to notice to the department that some over enthusiastic Sub Divisional Magistrates and Junior Engineer of the Water Supply and Sanitation department have issued directive to the teachers in this regard without taking the education department in confidence.He said that he has taken up the issue with the concerned Deputy Commissioners and asked them to withdraw these instructions that hinder in the primary duty of teachers that is teaching. The Minister said that however the department of School Education fully supported ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ of Prime Minister but preventing open defecation the school teachers have been told to motivate students in morning assembly.