Said, dismissed from service as soon as allegations were proved
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh, December 19 –
Haryana's School Education Minister Kanwar Pal said that the matter of sexual harassment committed by the Principal of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Uchana Mandi (Jind) is in the cognizance of the government and the government should take concrete steps in this matter. went. As soon as the matter came to the notice of the government, the guilty principal was suspended on October 27, 2023. As soon as the allegations of sexual harassment were prima facie proved, he has been dismissed from service on December 11, 2023.Kanwarpal was replying to the calling attention motion moved in the ongoing winter session of the Haryana Assembly here today.
He said that after studying the preliminary investigation report and considering the seriousness of the matter, 17 staff members of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Uchana Mandi (Jind) were also transferred from this school to other schools. The government is committed to ensuring the safety of all school-going children, especially girl students. The government is running various training and self-defense programs to educate and empower school students, especially girl students in government schools, to prevent sexual exploitation in schools. In this sequence, under the 'Rani Laxmibai Self Defense Training Programme', about 1,25,000 girl students from class 6th to 12th have been trained for self-defense in the academic year 2021-22. In the academic year 2022-23, about 1,00,000 girl students from class VI to XII were trained and in the year 2023-24, a target has been set to train 1,25,000 girl students and so far this year, from class VI to XII About 87,000 girl students have been trained and the remaining girl students will be trained by the end of this academic session.
The School Education Minister said that in order to provide a safe environment to the children in schools, a joint sensitization program is being prepared by the government in collaboration with the Women and Child Development Department of Haryana to sensitize all the teachers of government schools of the state. During December, 2023 and January, 2024, training on POCSO and POSH Acts will be provided to all principals, headmasters and fundamental headmasters. Prevention of sexual harassment has been included in the monthly monitoring format of DEO, DEEO, DIET, BEO, BRP and ABRC.
He said that through the affidavit, the Hon'ble High Court was informed that in terms of basic facilities in government schools, 131 schools had drinking water facility, 236 had electricity connection, 1047 had boys' toilets and 538 had girls' toilets. There is a need to provide toilets. To meet the requirement, an amount of Rs. 49.00 crore was released by the School Education Department on priority basis to address the deficiencies observed in respect of basic facilities in all the schools from time to time and 131 Basic facilities like drinking water in schools, boys' toilets in 1047 schools, girls' toilets in 538 schools and electricity connections in 236 schools have been provided.
Kanwarpal said that the government is committed to providing necessary infrastructure in all government schools and is making continuous efforts for this. The School Education Department has received a total of Rs 580 crore as budget including a supplementary budget of Rs 300 crore from the Finance Department for the year 2023-24. Out of this available budget, the department has so far issued approvals worth Rs 317 crore and the process of issuing approvals for the remaining amount is going on soon. Against the requirement of total 8240 additional class rooms, 5630 other rooms and 321 boundary walls, 4506 components (additional class rooms, other rooms and boundary walls) have been approved. Of these, 663 components have been completed, 1604 components are in progress and 2239 components are in the process of tendering. Around 1000 components are likely to be approved in the current financial year. The government will try to fulfill the requirements as soon as possible. In the last 10 years from 2012-13 to 2022-23, an amount of Rs 118312.83 crore (revised budget) was allocated against the estimated budget of Rs 129203.13 crore including centrally sponsored schemes. A total of Rs 107636.84 crore was utilized by the School Education Department during the said period. During these years, out of the revised budget of Rs 118312.83 crore, Rs 10675.99 crore could not be utilized. This non-utilisation was due to various saving measures, non-consumption of salary component etc.
26303 vacant posts in government schools will be filled soon
He also informed the House that at present 26303 posts of teachers are vacant in government schools of the state. The government is committed to filling the vacant posts as soon as possible. Demand letter for 12101 posts of PGT and TGT for regular appointment has already been sent to recruitment agencies and to meet the shortage of teachers, request has also been made to Haryana Skill Employment Corporation Limited to fill 8446 vacant posts of teachers on contract basis. The letter has been sent. The vacant posts to be filled on promotion basis will also soon be filled by promotion of teachers. Thus, the government is taking all necessary steps to provide teachers in every government school.