Seriously concerned about teachers' woes, shall address them soon: Punjab gov

Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore Tuesday said the state government was "seriously concerned" about the grievances of its employees, including teachers, and their issues will soon be "addressed effectively".

Addressing the state assembly on the opening day of the budget session, he said that the government did not want "its dynamic workforce" to suffer any disadvantage.

The governor spoke at length about the Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government's policies and programmes intended for the welfare of the people.

Addressing the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Badnore said his government was concerned about the woes of teachers.

"It shall take all possible measures to redress their grievances. In fact, not only the teachers, the grievances of all employees of the state are receiving full attention of my government and these shall soon be addressed effectively as the government does not want its dynamic work force to suffer any disadvantage or handicap in any manner," he said.

Notably, the Amarinder Singh government has been under fire from the opposition over the cane charge of teachers at Patiala on Sunday.

Many were injured when police lathi-charged a group of teachers marching towards the chief minister's residence to protest against the conditions for their regularisation.

The state government has also faced severe criticism from its employees over the non-payment of dearness allowance and arrears.

Noting that farmers' welfare remained the "undeterred priority", Badnore said his government has notified a farm debt relief scheme and it was being implemented with 5.83 lakh small and marginal farmers being provided loan relief to the tune of Rs 4,736 crore.

"My government is fully convinced that farmers' income can be doubled with greater ease and speed only by assisting them in subsidiary occupations such as dairy farming, piggery, goat farming, poultry," he said.

The governor further said that his government was committed to pursue the recommendations of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission, which probed the sacrilege and police firing incidents.

Asserting that the government had taken every possible administrative and legal measure to protect the state's river water, he said, "Punjab does not have surplus water and is, in fact, threatened with a water famine in not too far a future."