CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday passed eight bills in the ongoing budget session here.
Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla tabled the Punjab Education (Posting of Teachers in Disadvantageous Area) Bill, 2021, aimed at ensuring availability of teachers in educationally disadvantageous areas of the state.
However, members of the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stormed to the well of the House, protesting against the bill over the issue of increasing the probation period of government teachers.
They shouted slogans against the state government and were joined by some Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislators.
Later, Singla issued a statement in which he rejected the charge of the opposition and said the bill contained “customary language” regarding probation which was being misinterpreted.
He said the department of personnel had already notified in October 2017 that the total period of probation including extension, if any, shall not exceed four years of recruited by the direct appointment and three years if appointed otherwise.
Singla said the probation period of teachers would be extended only in a special case where the performance of an employee could not be found satisfactory during his or her initial years.
He further said the objective of the bill was to regulate the postings of teachers upon their initial recruitment in order to ensure availability of teachers in educationally disadvantageous areas where usually posts of teachers remain vacant.
After the Amity University, Punjab Bill, 2021 was tabled in the House, the AAP raised an objection and asked the government to first strengthen its own universities which were facing a “crisis”.
Akali leader Pawan Kumar Tinu sought a house committee to check the university’s fees and education quality.
The Punjab cabinet had in December last year approved the establishment of a university campus by Amity Education Group in Mohali’s IT city.
Minister Vijay Indra Singla presented the Punjab Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which provides for introducing death penalty in cases where people die after consuming spurious liquor.
Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal presented the Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which will allow the state to go for additional borrowing of Rs 12,130 crore.
The government of India had allowed 2 per cent of GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product), of which 1 per cent shall be unconditional and remaining 1 per cent shall be conditional to specific reforms.
Other Bills passed in the assembly included the Indian Partnership (Punjab Amendments) Bill, 2021, the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion (Amendment) Bill 2021, the Prisons (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Punjab Cooperative Societies (Amendment).
Earlier, SAD legislators slammed the finance minister for repackaging old and unfulfilled promises of his government and presenting them as new in the 2021-22 budget.
Similarly, AAP MLAs also took out a protest march against the state budget outside the Vidhan Sabha. They carried copies of budget and called them bundle of lies.
Source: Press Trust of India
