Punjab Government Deploys School Teachers To Serve, Be 'In-Charge' Of AAP Workers Heading To Arvind Kejriwal's Event

The Punjab government has assigned school teachers to oversee buses transporting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers to an event in Amritsar.

The event will feature Arvind Kejriwal, the party's national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister, who will be the chief guest at the opening of the state's first 'School of Eminence'.

This decision contradicts Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's previous statement that government teachers would only be responsible for teaching and not given any additional duties.

This decision has been made amidst ongoing examinations in state-run schools. The education department has instructed that no teacher should take leave from work to prepare their own children for exams. Instead, teachers are expected to focus on the education of their students.

According to orders issued by district education officers in various districts including Bathinda, Ludhiana, Moga, and Barnala, a total of 310 teachers, ranging from principals to lecturers, will accompany AAP workers on PRTC buses as "in-charges".

Each bus transporting AAP workers will have one teacher assigned as an 'in-charge'.

Their responsibilities include ensuring timely refreshments and breakfast for the workers, ensuring a smooth travel experience, and displaying the "School of Eminence" publicity banner on the bus.

In certain districts, principals have been appointed as "nodal officers" to ensure the buses reach the event venue on time.

In the Ludhiana district, each of the 14 assembly segments has been assigned 10 to 15 teachers as bus 'in-charges'.

According to the order, it is the responsibility of the principal to ensure that every teacher on the list fulfills this duty without any exemptions.

Similarly, in Bathinda, principals have been designated as "nodal officers" to oversee the performance of the teachers under them as bus in-charges.

Congress leader and MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation on X.

He posted, “Gross misuse of public exchequer money by @BhagwantMann for promotion of @ArvindKejriwal! DC Faridkot has been instructed to arrange 30 buses from district to ferry @AamAadmiParty workers for rally at Amritsar tomorrow. At this rate, hundreds of buses are being arranged from the entire state. Where’s the BADLAV?”

A senior official from the education department revealed that the initial plan was solely to organise the inauguration ceremony of the school campus, where Arvind Kejriwal was invited.

However, later on, another political segment was added to the programme.

The official stated that a rally would now be held after the inauguration, during which new initiatives of the education department would be highlighted and AAP workers from all over the state would be transported in PRTC and Punjab Roadways buses.