School representatives throng PSEB depot office, violate social distancing norms

With two counters set up by the depot officials, a huge rush was witnessed in the open-air gallery as more than 50 representatives stood in a queue without maintaining social distancing

Representatives of private associated schools thronged the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) depot office to submit the continuation pro forma with many violating social distancing norms.

Representatives of private associated schools thronging the Punjab School Education Board depot office on Friday (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Friday was the last date to submit the pro forma at the depot office.

With two counters set up by the depot officials, a huge rush was witnessed in the open-air gallery as more than 50 representatives stood in a queue without maintaining social distancing.

Till 5 pm, 240 continuation pro formas with undertaking has been submitted by schools affiliated with the board.

The representatives of associated schools reached the depot at 9 am to submit the pro forma but the depot manager refused to submit the files with the undertaking from the school. The depot officials started submitting the pro formas at 1.30 pm.

Thakur Anand Singh, member of the Joint Action front stated that they have received permission from the Punjab and Haryana high court to submit the continuation proforma without giving an undertaking to the board. “I have a copy of the court orders despite that the depot manager asked all the members of associated schools to submit the undertaking,” he said.

If any school fails to submit it, they have to pay ₹2,000 late fees from August 1.

Board depot manager Tarlochan Singh said, “We have asked the associated school representatives to submit the pro forma with the undertaking as we have received no instructions from the board regarding any orders of the high court.”