Implementing Swatch Bharat programme, the Punjab style

Punjab News Express
CHANDIGARH: The SAD-BJP government in Punjab always seems in haste to claim credit of being better than other states and deserved to be first in achieving targets. However, Punjab Government seemed to have toppled while claiming it first state to be free from open defecation under Swatch Bharat programme of Prime Minister Narender Modi.

Over enthusiasm of Punjab Government to implement the Swatch Bharat programme  has led to its embarrassment and criticism. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal seemed in haste to declare Punjab first open defecations state of country during a public function in Mann village on August 17. Soon after, the district authorities all over the state assigned the duty of identifying the persons in villages who are indulging in open defecation to school teachers.

Contrary to Chief Minister's wishful thinking to make Punjab a cleaner state, only last week the Union Urban Development Ministry had released the rankings of Swatch Bharat survey and listed the Amritsar, holiest city of Punjab, the highest termporal seat of Sikhs, the dirtiest city of country. Amritsar was at bottom of 13 most dirtiest cities and among the nine most polluted cities of India. However, the Chief Minister's office didn't respond to Swatch Bharat rankings.

The real scene unrolled in the education department where teachers were asked to follow the persons indulging in open defecationa and prepare their lists. Even as Education Minister Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema has strongly denied the reports that teachers were deputed to collect any such data, the fact remains that the teachers were asked to follow persons in open spaces, identify them and also rerport at what time of the day they went for open defecation. The performa given for collecting information also provided coloumn for 'mode of cleaning the butts' and how much time a person spends in releasing himself in the open space.

A copy of the such report circulated in social media, has shown that headmastrer of a govermnment primary school of Mukatsar districts had to station himself in fields of the village where he was posted at 5 AM in the morning. In his report sent to District Educatrion Officer mentioned the name of person seen sitting for open defecation alongwith ten other persons.

The report sent to district education officer of Mukatsar, named seven persons who went for open defecation between 5 AM to 5.23 AM. The sources of cleaning the butts was water carried in a bisleri bottle, Jug, a paint box, an empty box of pesticides and 'Gadbi' (Pot). The report stated, one person of the village identified as Angrez Singh had only rubbed his back with soil to clean himself, described as 'Ghissi' in local parlance.

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The teacher's bodies when resisted the move, the Education Minister came with a statement saying, 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. He clarified that there are no instructions or order from the department of School Education regarding engaging the school teachers for motivating the general people for avoid of open defecation. He said that however it has come to notice to the department 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 that he has taken up the issue with the concerned Deputy Commissioners and asked them to withdraw these instructions that hinder in the primary duty of teachers that is teaching. The Minister said that however the department of School Education fully supported ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ of Prime Minister but preventing open defecation the school teachers have been told to motivate students in morning assembly.