Chandigarh, Aug 18 (IANS): Punjab's education minister Daljit Singh Cheema on Tuesday said his department has not issued any instruction asking teachers to be nodal officers to check open defecation in the state.

"It has come to the notice of the department that some over-enthusiastic sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) and junior engineers of the water supply and sanitation department have issued directives to teachers in this regard without taking the education department in confidence," Cheema said.

"I have taken up the issue with the concerned deputy commissioners and asked them to withdraw these instructions that hinder the primary duty of teachers, that is teaching," he said.

The minister clarified that the education department was fully committed to motivate people in the Swachh Bharat campaign, but teachers, whose primary job was teaching, have not been assigned this duty by the department.

"There are no instructions or order from the department of school education regarding engaging school teachers for motivating the general public to avoid open defecation. School teachers have been told to motivate students in the morning assembly," Cheema said.