The Ludhiana municipal corporation has taken stringent action against striking government schoolteachers who failed to report for national census duty. In a move to enforce compliance, local authorities have frozen the salaries of dozens of teachers and threatened to lock them out of their classrooms.
Background of the Dispute
The conflict arose when 80 employees from the education department skipped the launch of the national population count. The high-stakes house-listing phase began on May 15 and is scheduled to run through June 13. The civic body has now asked the district education officer (DEO) to initiate quick disciplinary action against these employees.
Proposed Penalties
In a formal directive sent to both elementary and secondary education directors, the municipal corporation recommended that the defiant teachers be marked absent on their official school registers and have their pay suspended. Under the proposed penalties, salaries will remain frozen until the workers secure a formal no-objection certificate (NOC) from their designated census supervisors.
A senior municipal official emphasized the importance of the census, stating, "The census is a critical, time-bound national mandate. Any continued negligence will trigger severe departmental penalties, and school principals will be held accountable personally alongside their absent staff."
Escalation of Measures
The escalation follows several ignored warnings. While authorities earlier issued individual compliance notices, a faction of the education workforce refused to deploy to their field assignments. Officials reiterated that participation in the national census is legally compulsory for government servants, warning that the grace period for holdouts has expired.
This action underscores the government's determination to ensure the successful completion of the census, which is vital for planning and resource allocation. The municipal corporation's firm stance sends a clear message that dereliction of duty will not be tolerated.
