J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

25 cheating cases registered
Nakodar, October 8
Flying squad of Punjab School Education Department (PSEB) today registered 25 cases of copying against the matriculation students who took the board exam, semester I of social study here at two schools. The schools are located in Nakodar and Shahkot.

Journalist attacked
Phillaur, October 8
A journalist named Dilbag Singh was attacked and seriously wounded by three unidentified motorcyclist borne youths near Sangha-Jagir village on the Oormahal-Nakodar road today morning. Dilbag, who works with Hindustan Times newspaper, was admitted at Noormahal Hospital in Phillaur Sub-Division.

NCC camp begins
Amritsar, October 8
Over 500 NCC cadets from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran are taking part in the 10-day NCC camp organised by the 11 Punjab Battalion at Police DAV Public School. Lt Col PS Sandhu said the cadets were being imparted training of weapons and drill.

Sea of devotion

Sikh devotees carrying the palanquin in the Nagar Kirtan procession on the eve of the birth anniversary of the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ramdass, in Amritsar on Saturday. Tribune photo: Vishal Kumar

842 promotions: Master cadre happy, but expect more from govt
Jalandhar, October 8
The news of the promotion of 842 master teachers to headmasters, across the state, brought immense relief among the teachers of the district. A great Dasehra gift for teachers of the district, as many as 47 master teachers were promoted to the post of headmasters - a decision which had been lying pending for as long as a decade, even as some teachers had been stagnating on the same posts for the past 30 to 35 years, some even working in the same schools for over a decade.

2 snatchers held
Amritsar, October 8
The Civil Line police has nabbed two persons who were allegedly involved in snatching in various parts of the city. Jaspal Singh, alias Jass, of Dhapai and Jaspal Singh, alias Chooha, of Gali Khurian Wali, Dhapai, were arrested when they were trying to snatch a chain from a woman.

25 cheating cases registered
DEO recommends cancellation of paper and examination centres
Nikhil Bhardwaj

Journalist attacked
Ashok Kaura

Phillaur, October 8
A journalist named Dilbag Singh was attacked and seriously wounded by three unidentified motorcyclist borne youths near Sangha-Jagir village on the Oormahal-Nakodar road today morning. Dilbag, who works with Hindustan Times newspaper, was admitted at Noormahal Hospital in Phillaur Sub-Division.

He said he was going to Nakodar on his motorcycle when three assailants, who were perhaps waiting for him near the main road, attacked upon him with an iron rod and he fell down from the motorcycle. When the assailants saw some vehicles coming, they fled from the spot on their motorcycle, Dilbag added.

SP(D) Gurmit Singh and Phillaur DSP Rajbalwinder Singh rushed to the spot.The police has registered a case under Section 307 of the IPC but no arrest has been made yet. Meanwhile, Journalists of Phillaur, Noormahal, Nakodar, Phagwara, Goraya and other towns strongly condemned the attack.

NCC camp begins
Neeraj Bagga
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 8
Over 500 NCC cadets from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran are taking part in the 10-day NCC camp organised by the 11 Punjab Battalion at Police DAV Public School. Lt Col PS Sandhu said the cadets were being imparted training of weapons and drill.

He said special emphasis was being given in map reading and negotiating obstacles.He stated that efforts were also being put to shape up the personality of the cadets and to give them career counseling so that they could easily choose their career. He said during the camp, rallies on drug abuse and environment awareness would be conducted. 

842 promotions: Master cadre happy, but expect more from govt
Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 8
The news of the promotion of 842 master teachers to headmasters, across the state, brought immense relief among the teachers of the district. A great Dasehra gift for teachers of the district, as many as 47 master teachers were promoted to the post of headmasters - a decision which had been lying pending for as long as a decade, even as some teachers had been stagnating on the same posts for the past 30 to 35 years, some even working in the same schools for over a decade.

The last time such promotions took place was in March 2000. What’s ironical is that out of the 842 master teachers on the list, as many as 40 to 50 are retired teachers, as the list itself states!

In the district, a total of 48 orders were issued for the teachers, out of these as many as three teachers have retired. Though the list informs of the retirement of only two, sources confirmed that another teacher (on the list) had retired (on September 30 this year).

One of the teachers was issued a double order i.e. was allocated a duty as a headmaster in two schools, so by that count, a total of 44 district teachers joined as headmasters today.

Charanjit Singh Dadwal, a science master who has been posted to the Government High School, Patara, as headmaster, said, “It is very relieving to have received this promotion. A long stay at the same place brings stagnation. This will encourage many of us to work better.”

Dadwal who had been working at the Tali Mohalla school, said it was for the first time in his career spanning 34 years that he received a promotion.

Teachers had been awaiting these orders since as early as September 2010. As many as 100 to 150 teachers in the state retired waiting for them. Some teachers retired after 30 to 37 years of their service, eagerly awaiting promotions.

In the state, as many as 75 per cent posts of headmasters were vacant before the promotions. But even after the promotions as many as 50 per cent posts of headmasters still lie vacant.

In the district, while only 28 out of the total 134 posts of headmasters were filled earlier, with the 44 promotions now, 72 have been filled and 62 still lie vacant.

But a cause of concern among teachers is that 44 posts of masters have also been left vacant due to the change. While earlier 2,500 out of 3,183 posts of masters were filled, now the filled posts in this cadre (in the district) have been reduced to 2,456.

The larger picture

Gurpreet Singh Riar President of the Master Cadre Union, Punjab, says, “Though it makes us happy that many teachers have got long awaited promotions, it is sad that about 45 people on the list have already retired. Many more teachers are about to retire in a month. Our grievances regarding better status and grades has also not been addressed by the government so far. We want that in pay grades and status we should be better only than the lecturers. Presently some vocational teachers and computer teachers are getting better grades than us.”

The master cadre union will hold a rally in support of their demand in Mohali on October 9. Their last rally was held in Jalandhar on August 16. 

 

District l 48 orders were issued for distt teachers, out of these, three have retired and one was given double duty l With the 48 (minus 4) promotions now, 72 posts of headmasters in district have been filled, 62 still lie vacant l While earlier 2,500 out of 3,183 posts of master teachers were filled, now filled posts in the cadre reduced to 2,456

2 snatchers held
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 8
The Civil Line police has nabbed two persons who were allegedly involved in snatching in various parts of the city. Jaspal Singh, alias Jass, of Dhapai and Jaspal Singh, alias Chooha, of Gali Khurian Wali, Dhapai, were arrested when they were trying to snatch a chain from a woman.

During a search, the police also recovered 100 gm of narcotic powder from them.