Facing backlash, Punjab Speaker takes back order seeking teachers’ explanation

Facing backlash, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has withdrawn his recent order seeking an explanation from a government school headmaster and three women teachers in connection with a complaint by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amolak Singh.

In the fresh order issued by the office of the Speaker on Thursday, the secretary of school education, Punjab, was told that the letter issued on October 18 regarding a complaint of violation of “special rights” has been withdrawn.

Last Friday, Sandhwan had written to the education department, seeking an explanation on AAP Jaitu MLA Amolak Singh’s complaint that the teachers did not receive him during his visit to the Government Primary School at Gondara village in Faridkot district on September 17.

The MLA had complained that during his visit, headmaster Harwinder Singh was absent, while the three teachers didn’t come out of their classrooms to receive him.

Following the complaint, the deputy secretary, school education, in a letter dated October 21 sought an explanation from the teachers. The letter’s subject read: “Regarding the misbehaviour by headmaster Harwinder Singh and staff members of the government primary school at Gondara village in Faridkot”, and asked the “erring” teachers – Paramjit Kaur, Geet Rani and Kulwinder Kaur – to appear before the Speaker on October 22.

The headmaster and teachers visited the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on October 22, but the Speaker was unavailable.

The Speaker asked the secretary, school education, Punjab, to deal with the matter as he did not wish the teachers to give any explanation to him.

Headmaster Harwinder Singh said, “We met MLA Amolak Singh on October 22 at the Vidhan Sabha secretariat and explained to him that the teachers didn’t intend to disrespect him, rather it was a misunderstanding. The MLA heard us out and now the matter has been resolved.”