The Punjab Government on Friday backed out from its promise to provide laptops or tablets to the Government school students. In its place, the Government is mulling to upgrade its computer labs. The declaration to backtrack from its promise was made by State Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema during the Zero Hour while responding to the query posed by Congress MlA Rana Gurjit Singh.
The SAD-BJP Government, in its election manifesto for 2012 State Assembly polls, had promised to distribute laptops to the students of Class XI and XII studying in Government schools. After coming to power, the laptops were replaced by tablets, and the promise to cover students of Class XI and XII was limited only to Class XII.
In 2013, the Governor in his address to the Assembly had asserted that the Government would cover 1.5 lakh students of Class XII at the cost of Rs110 crore in the current fiscal year, while students of Class XI to be covered in the next year. However, till date, not a single student was given either laptop or tablet. Justifying the Government’s decision to withdraw its promise, Cheema said that considering that worst of the worst things are available on the internet, the Government has taken a second thought. “After detailed deliberations and serious thinking, especially after what happened in Uttar Pradesh where they discontinued their scheme of free laptops, we have decided to put off this decision,” said Cheema.
He said that the Government had already sanctioned Rs110 crore for the tablets the previous year. Cheema said: “In 6,136 schools, we have computer labs, and we are thinking that instead of providing laptops to the individual students, the same money should be utilised upgrade our computer labs from which 1.45 lakh students will be benefited.”
“They will have control access as the best of the best and the worse than the worse things are available on the internet,” said Cheema adding that it was not a political decision but decision taken on merit. Terming the State Government’s move as “retrograde step”, Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Sunil Jakhar said that education means developing one’s sense of judgment.
Congress lashes on Govt for mounting debt
The main opposition party, Congress, lashed out on the SAD-BJP combine Government for the mounting debt in the State. Senior Congress leader lal Singh, participating in the debate on budget proposals presented by the state Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa on Wednesday, said that the state’s total debt at present stands at whopping Rs1,24,400 crore on which the government is paying an interest of Rs9,900 crore. “Every single day, the government is paying an interest of Rs28 crore on the mounting debt,” he said.
Against the State Government’s claims of citing militancy and industrial concessions to hill state as reason for state’s debt, Singh rubbished the claims saying that main increasing was after 2007 after the SAD-BJP regime took over the reigns from the Congress. “In 2007, when the Congress Government left the office, the debt was Rs51,155 crore which has increased up to Rs1,13,000 crore in 2014 and which would further increase to Rs1,24,000 crore by next year,” said Singh.
Saying that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley too had refused a financial package to the State, Singh asked the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his flock to do introspection and stand up against the NDA for “discrimination against Punjab”. Another Congress MlAs Sadhu Singh Dharamsot criticized the budget and assailed the government for not fulfilling its promises of unemployment allowance, laptops to government school students, among others. He also questioned funds for setting up of 50,000 houses and the land for the same.
Training For MlAs Proposed Regarding Rules And Procedures Of The House
Peeved over the behaviour of some of the MlAs, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal mooted the idea of conducting a training programme on House proceedings for them. “I feel that there should be a training camp for all the MlAs in the Assembly for four to five days,” he pointed during the Zero Hour when Congress MlA Randeep Singh Nabha drew his attention towards the same.
Atwal said: “Such a programme will be useful for legislators, including the seniors, to be aware about how to respect the ‘Chair’, when to speak during the Session, when to take point of order, and how to put a question.” The Speaker said he has noted that many legislators, including those who are not first time MlAs, don't know much about proceedings of the Assembly.
Atwal, who was also the Deputy Speaker of lok Sabha earlier, said that providing training to House members is a precedence in the Parliament. His proposal was supported by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Mohan Mittal who urged the Speaker to convene a two-day training camp for the legislators. “Such a camp will help MlAs to know the code of conduct in the Assembly,” he said.