Winter uniform for students soon: Soni

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 21

Education Minister OP Soni today said the distribution of winter uniforms for school students would begin soon. He said: “The tender process took time. We hope to deliver uniform in a week or 10 days.”

He also assured that the delay in disbursing transportation charges for students’ “Vigyan Yatra” to Pushpa Gujral Science City would be resolved soon.

Soni justified the orders of the Centre to sing Gujarati devotional song “Vaishnava Jana” in all government schools during morning assembly every Monday.

The minister, who was here to attend a private function, said: “The Centre keeps giving directions to the states, which we have to follow. What is the harm in singing the favourite bhajan of our most revered freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi? We know that Gandhiji was born in Gujarat and hence the language problem with his bhajan. But we can certainly rethink on it from that angle.”

On sacking of five protesting teachers last week, he said: “I have called the file on the matter and will go through it.” On the proposed regularisation of 5,178 teachers, he said: “We are soon going to take up their case in the Cabinet meeting and will offer them full pay scale.”