No one eligible to head Language Department of Punjab: Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer

Patiala, November 1

Even as the state government is celebrating Punjabi mother tongue month, the Language Department, Punjab, lacks any employee qualified enough to be promoted as the director of the department. The post, along with nearly 70 other posts of research assistant and technical staff, has been lying vacant.

An official at the department said, “The process of submission and publication of thesis written by Punjabi literary figures is on a halt due to a shortage of employees. The research assistants and the technical staff have either retired or have been promoted. The government should fill all the posts.”

Veerpal Kaur, Joint Director, Bhasha Vibhag, said, “A process to fill 43 vacant posts of research assistant and 24 posts of instructor has been initiated after we submitted a demand with the state government for the same.”

Higher Education and Languages Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, who had reached the department on the inaugural day of Punjabi Maah (month) celebrations said the post of the director has to be filled through promotion. “No candidate within the department is eligible for the post. We cannot fill it directly.” But he assured that the government will fill the posts of research assistant and technical staff soon.