Jalandhar, June 27
Agitated over the delay in the promotion of Scheduled Caste (SC) lecturers as principals, members of the Scheduled Caste Employees Joint Action Committee has decided to sit on a fast unto death in case the Department Promotion Committee (DPC) list of the Education Department is not released within 15 days.

The committee members have also written to the Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes highlighting the delay by the Education Department in not releasing the DPC list after its meeting, which was held on May 10, 2011.

The committee members would now conduct a convention in this regard on July 16 and gherao the Education Minister’s house and further stage a state-level protest at Lambi.

Gurmail Singh Chandarh said more than a month had passed and the state Education Department was yet to release the final DPC list. “This shows the mala fide intention of the Education Department in promoting the SC school lecturers as principals,” he added.

The SC lecturers also criticised the Education Minister for claiming to have promoted 1,500 lecturers of government schools as principals. “The Education Minister also claimed that another 4,500 lecturers would be promoted soon. But, the ground reality is that nobody has been promoted till date,” he added.

Further terming the claims of the Education Minister as election stunt, the lecturers said, “Assembly elections are a few months away and soon the election code of conduct would be enforced during which no promotion policies can take place. The Education Department should consider our grievance on priority,” they said.

Gyan Sultanpuri, another member, said more than 700 government schools of the state were functioning without regular principals and this had been a major reason behind the downfall of the standard of education in the government schools.

“Owing to poor promotional policy many senior SC lecturers retired awaiting promotions as principals and others are on the verge of retirement. The state Education Department will have to release the DPC list, else it will ruin the future of scores of SC lecturers in the state,” said Sultanpuri.

Earlier also, it was due to the joint efforts of committee members and the National Scheduled Caste Commission that junior lecturers were promoted as principals in the state on February 15, 2010. Even the Punjab and Haryana High Court had also taken notice of the vacant posts of principal and directed the Education Department to appoint principals with immediate effect. “Surprisingly the state Education Department did not adhere to the court orders as well and the promotions are pending till date,” quipped Chandarh.

Nawanshahr, June 27
The SSP, Dr Narinder Bhargav, in a press note issued here today informed that the Banga police during patrolling near Happowal village nabbed two snatchers, identified as Gurdip Singh and Jaskaran Singh of Beesla village, and recovered a gold chain and earrings from them.

Amritsar, June 27
Hundreds of farmers raising slogans against the Parkash Singh Badal government held a protest outside the office of the Powercom Chief Engineer (Border Range) today.

Farmers held the protest under the banner of the Kissan Sangharsh Committee (KSC), Punjab, to impress upon the government to fulfil its poll promises.

The KSC (Punjab) president, Satnam Singh Pannu, said the government had not waived the bills of agriculture motors despite agreement. He demanded that the Powercom be reverted to its previous organisational structure and free power supply be provided to labourers.

He reminded the Badal government of its poll promise of providing swift tubewell connections to the farmers having less than five acres of land. He sought the immediate release of tubewell connections to the farmers who had deposited their securities in 1990. He complained that the government was not supplying assured eight-hour power supply.

Tarn Taran, June 27
Pharmacists and Class IV employees working in rural veterinary and civil health centres at Khadur Sahib township, 25 km from here, ended their 25-day-old chain hunger strike when Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura assured them that their demand would be seriously considered by the state government today.

The pharmacists and Class IV employees working in rural veterinary and civil health centres under the banner of the Rural Health Pharmacists and Class Four Association (Vet and Health) had been demanding for the regularisation of their services.

The minister while offering them juice to end strike at the camp site said their demand had no link with the state government as they had not been appointed by the government, but by the in charge doctors of health centres concerned.

Brahmpura assured them that even then their demand would be seriously considered by the state government.

Sukhveer Singh Moga, state convener of the association, said the association would go on raising its sole demand at an appropriate forum.

Hoshiarpur, June 27
Punjab is the only state in the country where the Library Act has not been introduced till now, due to which there is no library in any government school. To set up libraries in all government schools, a draft for the formation of the Library Act has recently been prepared and is being got checked from various institutions and intellectuals for making any addition or alteration to finalise it.

As soon as draft is finalised, it would be submitted to the state Cabinet for approval. Thereafter, it would be presented in the Assembly in its coming session. After its clearance, libraries in each government school having computerisation with Internet facilities would be set up so that students could get latest information in every sphere of the world.

This was stated by Punjab Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, while talking to mediapersons here on Saturday. He said some amendments to the Punjab School Education Board Act had recently been made.

The Education Minister claimed that the SAD-BJP government had recently reintroduced pension scheme benefits to the teachers of government-aided private schools from 2003, which had been discontinued by the Congress government. The state government had to bear arrears of Rs 287 crore, which would be given in five instalments. The first instalment of Rs 58 crore was being sent. With this, 8,000 teachers of government-aided private schools would be benefited. They would get regular pension benefits in future.

He said the Right to Education Act would be implemented before 2013 positively. Referring to the vacant posts of teachers and headmasters, he said the cases of promotion of 4,500 teachers to headmasters were being processed, of which 800 teachers were not traceable.

Hoshiarpur, June 27
To raise the standard of education, the Punjab Government is spending Rs 1,492 crore for improving the existed infrastructure and providing new one in government schools during the current financial year.

This was disclosed by Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan while addressing a seminar in connection with the improvement of education here yesterday. He said to make the education system effective and standardised, the involvement of people was necessary. The holding of such seminars had been started, which would cover the entire districts of the state. Special efforts were being made to stop the menace of copying and to promote sports in government schools.

Referring to the shortage of teaching staff, he said 6,000 teachers were being recruited through Zila Parishads for elementary schools. After this recruitment all the vacant posts in elementary schools of the state would be filled.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mohinder Kaur Josh said infrastructure worth Rs 100 crore was provided to the government schools during the four-and-a-half-year regime of the SAD-BJP government.