Chandigarh: In view of the severe cold conditions in Punjab and Haryana, the State government has extended the winter vacation in all private and government schools till January 8, said Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Monday. Punjab Education Minister said that strict action will be taken against the schools if they open before the mentioned date.
Deputy Commissioners have been ordered to take strict action against private institutions if they open schools in violation of the orders regarding holidays issued by the Punjab government till January 8, said Education Minister tweeted. Severe cold conditions gripped Punjab on Monday, with minimum temperatures registering a sharp fall in many places. A thick blanket of fog in the morning continued to envelop parts of both the states and Chandigarh, reducing visibility.
According to the MeT Department, Bathinda was the coldest place in Punjab with a minimum temperature of 0.4 degrees Celsius while Mandkola in Haryana registered a minimum of minus 1.3 degree Celsius. Amritsar recorded a low of 3.4 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 4.1 degrees, Patiala 5.8 degrees, Pathankot 3.4 degrees, Faridkot 2.2 degrees, Moga 1.2 degrees while Gurdaspur reeled at a low of 4 degrees.
In Haryana, biting cold prevailed in Fatehabad, with a minimum temperature of 3.2 degrees Celsius. While Hisar recorded a low of 4.5 degrees, Narnaul 4.2 degrees, Bhiwani 6.2 degrees, Sirsa 3.4 degrees and Jhajjar registered a minimum temperature of 6.1 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 6.5 degrees Celsius.
