The Punjab government on Friday regularised 12,710 contractual teachers and also announced a bus service for 20,000 government school students.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann handed over the regularisation letters to the teachers of the state education department at a function here and called it a “historic day”.

Mann said after assuming office, he laid emphasis on regularising these teachers’ services by overcoming all legal and administrative hiccups as they can transform students’ lives only when their own future is secured.

He said the state government will soon launch a bus service for students studying in government schools. The pilot project will be launched for 20,000 students, including 12,000 girls and 8,000 boys, he said.

A budget of Rs 21 crore has been passed for this scheme and its main aim is to help girl students enrolled in government schools to complete their studies.

Mann said the buses will be equipped with a GPS device so that the parents of girl students can track their movement. It is a step towards ensuring the safety and security of girls studying in these schools, he added.

Meanwhile, the chief minister turned emotional during the event after a teary-eyed teacher hugged and thanked him for regularising her job.

Mann said his father was a teacher and he is aware of the problems faced by the teaching fraternity. He asserted that he was duty-bound to resolve all issues they faced.

It was unfortunate that these teachers had to work on meagre salaries and were forced to lodge protests for their lawful rights due to the “apathy” of successive governments, he said.

Without naming anyone, Mann said that the leaders living in the palatial palaces can’t take such decisions as they are not aware of realities at ground level.

Even workers under MGNREGA used to get higher salaries than teachers, Mann said, adding that he was peeved by the “atrocity” on the nation builders.

According to an official statement, the 12,710 teachers, including BA pass education provider (associate teachers), who were getting Rs 9,500 per month will now get Rs 20,500 per month as an emolument whereas such teachers with elementary teacher training and nursery teacher training qualification will get Rs 22,000 as against Rs 10,250 per month earlier.

Similarly, teachers with BA/MA BEd degrees who are getting Rs 11,000 at present will now get a salary of Rs 23,500 per month.

Mann said every year, a 5 per cent increment will be given to the teachers along with other benefits.

The state government had earlier decided that the teachers would only render service related to teaching work and no other non-teaching duty would be assigned to them, the chief minister said.

Mann said the Union government demanded 66,000 teachers for conducting a census in the state but he refused and asked them to enrol unemployed youth. It will also help the youth get firsthand knowledge of government work.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)