Punjab government today rescinded its instructions to teachers to keep an eye on people defecating in the open after facing strong protest against it.
Education Minister Daljeet Singh Cheema said, he has taken up the issue with concerned Deputy Commissioners and asked them to withdraw these instructions that hinder the primary duty of teachers.
Cheema clarified that while education department was fully committed to motivate people in the Swachh Bharat campaign but teachers, whose primary job was teaching, have not been assigned this duty by the department.
"There are no instructions or order from the department of School Education regarding engaging the school teachers for motivating the general people to avoid open defecation," he said.
However, it has come to notice that some over enthusiastic Sub Divisional Magistrates and Junior Engineer of the Water Supply and Sanitation department have issued directive to the teachers in this regard "without taking the education department in confidence," he said.
The minister said the department of School Education fully supported Prime Minister's 'Swachh Bharat Mission' and school teachers have been told to motivate students in morning assembly about preventing open defecation.
After the government's clarification, the orders have been withdrawn, officials said. The teachers too called off their agitation after the government rescind its instructions.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said, "No such orders have been issued. We will ensure toilets in every village of Punjab...I am personally monitoring progress."
Punjab government has set a target of constructing 6 lakh 25 thousand toilets to prevent open defecation, he said.
Earlier, as per the guidelines issued by Sub-Divisional Magistrate's office of Malerkotla in Sangrur district, teachers have been appointed nodal officers to work for the Central government's cleanliness drive.
Government teachers in Punjab will have to check how many people are defecating in the open and urge them not to do so, the instructions had said, adding they have also been asked to submit a report on families who do not have toilets at home.
