Cost cutting: PSEB plans to shut down its regional centres
To curtail its expenditure, the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is planning to shut down its 13 regional offices being run from rented accommodations in the state.
During 2016-2017, the PSEB had spent around Rs 75 lakh as rent for the buildings of 13 regional offices.
Sources said these regional centres will be asked to vacate the rented accommodations and shift to the offices of the respective district education officer (DEO).
They said the move will help the board save nearly Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 crore per annum, including other expenses apart from the rent.
A proposal in this regard will be put forth in the PSEB board of directors’ meeting to be held on August 4.
The regional centres not only sell the PSEB books but are also used by students to procure and submit various forms, deposit examination fees, seeking information and clarifications.
PSEB officials are now planning to ensure supply of books from DEO offices where two employees will sit in a store to provide the services.
The 13 regional centers are in Fatehgarh Sahib, Patti, Fazilka, Muktsar, Gurdaspur, Nawanshahr, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Mansa, Kapurthala, Moonak, Barnala, Ferozepur. The board has a total of 21 regional centres.
The board’s book depots in three districts of Bathinda, Jalandhar and Pathankot are operating in the buildings of printing and stationary department.
The regional offices in Patiala, Amritsar, Moga, Hoshiarpur and Ropar are operating in the board’s own buildings.
Speaking to HT, a senior board official said, “With the way things are going it is becoming obvious that the top officials are planning to restrict the role of the board to only conducting examinations, on the pattern of the CBSE.”
“Its role as an academic and book publishing body is to be given to some other independent bodies, falling under the ambit of the education department,” he added.
With the way things are going, it is becoming obvious that the top officials are planning to restrict the role of the board to only conducting examinations, on the pattern of the CBSE. PSEB OFFICIAL