Bathinda education officers get show cause notices for ordering school closure

Chandigarh, Dec 15 (PTI) Two Bathinda district education officers have been issued show cause notices for ordering six schools in Maur to make stay arrangements for the security staff of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ahead of his visit to the sub-division.

The two DEOs had issued the order through a letter ahead of the AAP’s Saturday rally in Bathinda’s Maur, which will be addressed by party national convener Arvind Kejriwal and CM Mann.

Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray on Friday said the order has been withdrawn and the two DEOs have been issued show cause notices for bypassing authority and taking action on their own.

The letter was issued by DEO (elementary) Shivpal Goyal and DEO (secondary) Bhupinder Kaur on Thursday.

Both officials in the order asked the heads of six schools — Government Primary School (GPS), Maur Mandi, SD Government High School, Maur Mandi, SD Government Primary School, Maur Mandi, Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Maur Kalan, GSSS, Maur Khurd, and GSSS, Maur Mandi (Girls) to announce Saturday a holiday and spruce up their schools, and ensure power backup and clean water.

The letter stated that the security staff of the CM would arrive at these schools on Friday evening.

The letter assumes significance in light of parents-teachers meetings scheduled for Saturday across state government schools.

Parray, taking a stern view of the letter, said no direction was issued to police for making arrangements for the stay of the security staff of the CM in the government schools.

He said that both the DEOs took the decision on their own and without consulting the DC office.