‘Explain why you failed to stop farmers from burning stubble’: Out of classrooms to sensitise farmers, Punjab teachers get notice

His telephone keeps ringing astatine nighttime adjacent aft helium reaches location arsenic farmers pain paddy stubble successful in precocious hours to evade action. Kamboj has been asked to study to the colony immediately, click photos and get the occurrence doused.

On Tuesday, helium was served a show-cause announcement by the bureau of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Zira, seeking a written mentation for “why helium failed to halt stubble burning successful villages assigned to him”. Another simple teacher Manoj Kumar, besides posted successful Ferozepur, excessively got a akin announcement contempt Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s repeated assertion that “teachers won’t beryllium assigned immoderate non-teaching duties. They volition lone teach”.

Speaking with The Indian Express, the teachers said for the past 15 days oregon so, they had been making each effort to halt the workplace fire, adjacent arsenic it was not their job, “leaving teaching which is our work”.

The announcement reads: “You are informed that you were assigned a work to make consciousness against stubble burning and halt the fires. The undersigned has been informed that the cases of stubble burning are being repeatedly reported from the villages wherever you were assigned this duty. It seems you are not fulfilling your work with dedication and villagers are not being sensitised. Hence, arsenic per the Supreme Court orders, enactment has to beryllium taken. If you privation to contiguous your side, you whitethorn bash truthful via written explanation. If your reply is recovered unsatisfactory, enactment volition beryllium taken accordingly.”

Kamboj said, “The children’s acquisition is suffering badly. Earlier, we were connected panchayat predetermination duty. What tin we bash if farmers pain stubble adjacent aft we sensitised them? Every time I question 120 km to the schoolhouse wherever I americium posted. Then we permission for villages wherever we person been assigned work to halt stubble burning. From getting announcements made connected gurdwara speakers to holding talks, we did everything. Is it our responsibility if a husbandman inactive burns stubble successful the night? My telephone rings adjacent astatine nighttime whenever villagers spot a tract acceptable connected fire. They expect maine to question 120 km again to douse the fire. We person been told to click a representation of the occurrence and get it doused but farmers bash not fto america click a photo. We are doing everything but teaching which is our job.”

Manoj Kumar, a superior teacher posted astatine Alipur colony schoolhouse successful Zira who besides got a notice, said, “I question much than a 100 kilometres each time to scope my schoolhouse successful Ferozepur district. I further question 8 km to villages wherever I americium deputed to halt stubble burning. I americium inactive connected probation. We were hired to teach, not for these works. I besides enactment arsenic a booth-level serviceman (BLO) and hole voters’ lists. I americium doing everything, but teaching. How tin we halt farmers from burning stubble erstwhile they are adamant astir it.”

Malkeet Singh, Ferozepur territory president of the Democratic Teachers Front, who submitted a memorandum to the lawman commissioner demanding notices beryllium withdrawn, said, “Teachers were being harassed unduly with specified non-teaching duties and notices. Despite consciousness activities, if farmers inactive pain stubble, however are teachers responsible? This authorities has failed to support its committedness that teachers volition lone teach.”

Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner Deepshika Sharma said, “I request to cheque with the Zira SDM arsenic to successful what capableness helium assigned these duties to the teachers. Only past I volition comment.”