It has been determined that 33 government schools in the state have failed to deposit income generated from lands they own.
Around 520 acres of agricultural land are in the possession of 97 government high and secondary schools in the state.
During this year’s auction of annual lease land, the Education Department had encouraged school managements to invite more tillers to generate more revenue from this land.
Schools were instructed to deposit the lease money in the department’s account without delay as long as they ensured a minimum growth of 5 per cent during the crop season from May 1, 2022, to April 30, 2023.
Several schools were attached to the land in order to promote agriculture training and education. Students could keep agriculture as a subject in all of these schools, too. However, many people do not have one at the moment. According to Prem Chawla of the Punjab Government School Teachers’ Union, there are 88 teachers who teach the subject.
These schools have now been asked to provide details about the income generated from this agricultural land as well as whether they have an agriculture teacher.
After harvesting the paddy crop, the department wants to check whether the tillers burnt the stubble. School managements are required to get an undertaking from the tillers that the crop residue and stubble will not be burned after the harvest in order to lease out the land for agricultural purposes.