Signing you in

The campaign, launched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in April-May last year, involved the inauguration of more than 25,000 works in government schools. Separate granite plaques were installed for several works, including repairs to boundary walls, toilets and classrooms. In some schools, four to five stones carrying the names of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Education Minister Harjot Bains and local MLAs were installed.

Teachers were also asked to organise inauguration ceremonies for visiting ministers and MLAs, and ended up spending on tents, refreshments, sound systems and publicity flexes. The Opposition had dubbed the exercise “Udghatan Kranti”, alleging that the government was using school infrastructure for political publicity. Amid the criticism, the government, midway through the 54-day drive, directed schools to install only one plaque for all works.

An order issued by then Education Secretary Anindita Mitra said that schools would receive Rs 5,000 for each granite plaque. Foe inagiration ceremonis, the expenditure was to be reimbursed category-wise — Rs 5,000 for primary and middle schools, Rs 10,000 for high schools and Rs 20,000 for senior secondary schools.

Teachers claim that the education department did not release funds in advance, leaving them with little choice but to pay vendors from their own pockets. In many schools, several teachers pooled their money to meet the expenses.This has now compounded the problem. The education department will release the sanctioned amount directly to vendors, who are then expected to return the money already paid by teachers.

Harkeet Singh, a vendor from Khamano in Fatehgarh Sahib, said he supplied granite plaques to at least 70 schools in Fatehgarh Sahib and Khanna but was yet to receive payment from the government.

“Each stone cost around Rs 3,500-4,000. Teachers paid me from their own pockets. I have to return the money to them when the government credits the amount to my account. I haven’t received a oenny from the government. Teachers keep calling to ask whether the money has come,” he said, adding he will return the money to teachers the day “I receive it from the government”.

A primary school head teacher from Bhadla village of Khanna said the school had spent about Rs 6,000 on the plaque, snacks and arrangements for the inauguration. “We paid the vendors because nobody gives even a piece of chalk on credit these days. We were told the money would be credited to the vendor after bills were submitted. Despite multiple letters to district education authorities, our reimbursement has not come. What was the need for such a political PR gimmick if there was no budget?” the teacher said.

In Aspal Khurd village of Barnala, teachers said three plaques were installed — two for classrooms and one for a boundary wall — with more than Rs 20,000 spent on the arrangements. “We were later told that only schools visited by the minister would get the money. Is it our fault if the minister did not visit our school? We were ready to welcome him or any other MLA,” a teacher said.

In Rajgarh village of Barnala, four teachers pooled money to pay vendors when AAP MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer visited the school to inaugurate a gate. “We haven’t received the money yet. Vendors say nothing has come into their accounts,” a teacher said.

Similar complaints came from Moga and Ludhiana. A teacher in Moga said the school spent around Rs 9,000 for one plaque and the inauguration attended by local MLA Amandeep Kaur Arora. In Jandi village of Ludhiana, teachers said they installed two plaques and spent Rs 30,000 on arrangements.

In Ludhiana, another teacher from Gag Kalan said more than Rs 25,000 was spent on a single inauguration. The programme was postponed by a day, resulting in additional expenses for the tent and sound system. “At one point, vendors started demanding their money, leaving us with no option but to pay,” the teacher said.

A teacher from Ramgarh Bhullar village said the school had submitted its bill four times for a plaque and publicity flexes but had received no reimbursement.

A senior Education Department official said the “majority” of bills had been cleared after the government released a tranche of Rs 12.25 crore, but acknowledged that some payments remained pending.

Ludhiana Deputy District Education Officer Amandeep Singh and Barnala DEO Sunit Inder Singh said no such bills were pending in their districts, though both said they would “still get it checked”.