Punjab cabinet okays amendments to services rules to fast track recruitment process
Chandigarh, August 16
The Punjab Cabinet on Monday gave its nod to amend the rules concerning recruitment of pre-primary school teachers, a move welcomed by protesting temporary teachers who have been demanding regularisation of their jobs for nearly two months.
In a set of decisions taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here, the council of ministers approved amendments to the relevant service rules in five departments—Home Affairs and Justice, Jails, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development, School Education and Rural Development and Panchayats.
The move was aimed to fast track the process of recruitment to these five government departments, said an official spokesperson.
In case of school education, the cabinet approved amendment in the Punjab State Elementary Education (Pre Primary School Teachers) Group-C Service Rules, 2020.
It provides for teaching experience of at least three years in case of education provider, education volunteer, education guarantee scheme volunteer, alternative or innovative education volunteer, special training resource volunteer or inclusive educational volunteer in government schools of Punjab.
However, the other educational qualifications of minimum 45 per cent marks in class 12 and diploma or certificate obtained by the candidates in Nursery Teachers’ Training (NTT) of not less than one year remains unchanged, said the spokesperson.
Protesting teachers, in a statement here, welcomed the decision of the cabinet and sought its implementation.
Jujhar Singh, one of the protesters, said the provision of three-year teaching experience will give them an edge during the recruitment process.
Over 10,000 temporary teachers have been teaching for the last several years in the government schools and have been demanding regularisation of their services.
They have been protesting outside the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) building to press the state government to accept their demands. They have also been demanding from the government to give priority to them in appointments to posts of NTT.
The cabinet also approved the establishment of private self-financed ‘Plaksha University’ in Mohali and gave its nod to the draft of ‘The Plaksha University Ordinance 2021’, and authorised the chief minister to approve the final draft without placing it again before the council of ministers, the official said.
To boost utilisation of agro waste for manufacturing of bio-fuels, the cabinet also approved an amendment to the industrial policy-2017 for the standalone units that are manufacturing alcoholic products.
To promote agri-business by boosting the crop diversification programme, the cabinet approved the merger of state-owned Punjab Agro Juices Limited with Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited, the official said.
The merger will lead to better utilisation of resources, better economies of scale, expansion of operations which will ultimately benefit the farmers. PTI
