Schools without drawing, disbursing officials fail to withdraw grants, salaries

LUDHIANA: With no principals or officials with the drawing and disbursing powers, over 100 schools in the state are unable to receive any grant released by the state or the Union government.

Moreover, the teachers in these schools have not even received salaries for the past two months.

Notably, these schools are functioning without heads as over 100 principals had moved the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) in April against the dual charge of schools assigned to them.

Some of them were being forced to travel over 100 kilometres thrice a week as the schools assigned to them were located far apart.

The HC had stayed the department orders after which the principals stopped visiting schools in other districts.

A school teacher, on condition of anonymity, said, “In the absence of any person with drawing and disbursing powers, schools are deprived of the uniform grants for students of Classes 6 and 8, grant for projectors, etc. We are also unable to withdraw salaries of the last two months, pending medical reimbursement bills, Wi-Fi bills, electricity bills, newspaper bills, etc. The dual-charge issue needs to be resolved at the earliest or else there would be huge hue and cry in the state.

Meanwhile, one of the principals who had moved court, while criticising the state government, said that even though the Punjab Director General of School Education (DGSE) had directed all district education officers to make recommendations by May 20, for giving additional charge of schools to principals in their parent district, nothing had been done so far.

“It is very discouraging for teachers and ultimately affects the studies of students. Schools are feeling handicapped in such a scenario. It is shocking that the mess has not been cleared yet. Many such schools now have pending mid-day meal bills,” added the principal.

Following the orders of the DGSE, the district education officers (DEOs) submitted their list of recommendation to the state department.

A senior officer in the department said that the director public instructions (DPI), after receiving the recommendations from the DEOs, forwarded the file to the senior officials.

Meanwhile when asked about the delay, DPI, KPS Mahi said that the matter was already in process.

“All teachers would soon get their salaries as the matter is in process with the state government which is very concerned about the welfare of the education system in Punjab. New secretary, schools has just joined and she will soon take the necessary action,” said DPI.

TEACHERS IN THESE SCHOOLS HAVE NOT RECEIVED SALARIES FOR TWO MONTHS