CHANDIGARH: In what appears to be an open dare to the Punjab Government following its claims of having better schools, Delhi deputy chief minister and Education minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Manish Sisodia said if the Punjab government thinks its schools are in a good state, they must visit Delhi once. Sisodia made the comment after visiting a government school in Punjab CM, Charanjit Singh Channi’s constituency, Chamkaur Sahib on Wednesday.
The two political parties have been sparring on the quality of government education in the respective ruling states lately. The Punjab Education Minister, Pargat Singh, had claimed that the Punjab government schools are better equipped in terms of quality of education and infrastructure.
Sisodia had earlier released a list of 250 government schools in Delhi, claiming exceptional facilities for students, and challenged the Punjab Education Minister Pargat Singh to do the same. He later accused Singh of avoiding “a debate” on schools when a similar list was not released by the Punjab government.
Also Read: ‘Will Regularise Your Jobs If We Win’: Kejriwal Promises Punjab Contractual Teachers
Sisodia on Wednesday visited Government Primary School at Makro Na Kalan in Chamkaur Sahib, and made a thorough inspection of every single facility being provided to the teachers and students.
While interacting with the media, Deputy CM of Delhi, Manish Sisodia said, “This government school is for the students of Nursery to class V. There is only one teacher in this school and that teacher is being paid a meagre salary of Rs 6,000. Other than the teacher, the village panchayat provides one assistant to the school.”
Cobwebs, leaky roof, lack of smart classrooms, broken furniture and damaged computers with clogged and smelly toilets, made for some of the other observations by the Delhi minister that pointed towards poor infrastructure at the school. “This is the true condition of the Government school, that too in the constituency of Punjab CM Channi,” he claimed.
पंजाब के मुख्यमंत्री @CHARANJITCHANNI जी के हल्के के स्कूल देखने गया था. CM साहब के हल्के में स्कूलों की हालत देखिए –
– चारों ओर toilet की बदबू
– हर तरफ़ मकड़ी के जाले
– स्मार्ट क्लासरूम के नाम पर मज़ाक़
– पूरे स्कूल में एक टीचर और तनख़्वाह मात्र 6000/- pic.twitter.com/10wM0vgptW— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) December 1, 2021
Comparing the status in the two states, Sisodia said: “We both got five years – the Congress in Punjab and AAP in Delhi, and we gave our best. The result is there for all to see. Give a chance to AAP in Punjab, I promise (you all) that the condition of government schools will change in Punjab too. There will be better education facilities,” Sisodia added.
Taking a jibe at Punjab Education minister Pargat Singh on providing a list of 250 government schools, Sisodia said: “Ab aise schools ki kya list denge Pargat Singh Ji, jab unko halaton ka pata hi hai.” (How can we expect Pargat Singh to issue a list, when he is well aware of the ground conditions of their government schools).
Also Read: Capt Amarinder Meets Haryana CM At His Residence, Calls It Courtesy Meeting