Edu Dept urged to initiate promotion process for vacant principal posts

The Education Employees Welfare Federation (SC/BC) has urged the Punjab Education Department to immediately initiate the promotion process for eligible lecturers to fill the numerous vacant principal posts across the state, with particular concern for Kapurthala district.

Addressing the media, Federation district president Satwant Singh Toora, along with Manjeet Gatt, Santokh Singh Mallhi, Lakhvir Chand, Balwinder Masih, Manjeet Das, Vinod Kumar and Balwinder Nidhadak, highlighted the acute shortage of regular principals in government schools.

According to Toora, out of 62 sanctioned principal posts in Kapurthala district, only about one-fourth are occupied by regular principals, while the rest remain vacant. He said, “This shortage creates serious administrative hurdles. When a principal is transferred or promoted, the department faces difficulties assigning DDO (Drawing and Disbursing Officer) powers to other schools. Some principals are already burdened with additional DDO responsibilities for two to three schools.”

He added that the district’s nine education blocks are struggling to manage schools effectively due to the shortfall, directly impacting the quality of education for students. “The situation is no better in the primary wing, where only two regular BPEOs (Block Primary Education Officers) are working,” Toora noted.

The federation appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains to promote eligible and experienced lecturers to fill the promotion quota vacancies of principals.