Bathinda: Nearly four years after chief minister Bhagwant Mann announced a cash award of Rs 51 ,000 for four school students who used a traditional kavishari (ballad) performance to spread awareness about stubble burning , the promised money is yet to reach them.




Hardeep Singh Jatana, who runs Malwa Public School at Khiala Kalan village in Mansa district , said he had repeatedly approached authorities for the award announced by the chief minister in Oct 2022. The students were, however, given appreciation certificates on Jan 26, 2023.




The four students — Beant Kaur, who was then in Class IX, Harsimar Kaur, Ranbir Kaur and Jashanpreet Kaur, who were then in Class VIII — had performed a kavishari titled “Na phook parali nu, lakha mittar keede sarde” (Don’t burn stubble, lakhs of friendly insects also get burnt) in Oct 2022.




The performance received widespread appreciation after Mann posted a clip of the ballad on social media on Oct 16, 2022. He announced a cash award of Rs 51,000 for the students and appreciation letters for their teachers.




Jatana said he later wrote to the chief minister’s office about the pending award. “The CMO wrote back to the Mansa deputy commissioner, with a copy to me, asking me to approach the DC office. I approached the DC office, but I am still waiting for the award money,” he said.




One of the students has since migrated to Canada, he added.




Jatana said the students did receive a separate award of Rs 51,000 announced by Punjab assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan after the chief minister’s announcement. “We received that award after some time,” he said.




The anti-stubble-burning ballad was seen as an unusual attempt to use Punjab’s traditional kavishari form to spread awareness about the harmful effects of crop-residue burning . In the over three-minute performance, the students highlighted how burning stubble kills ants and birds, destroys trees and affects soil health.




Jatana, who has been training students in kavishari for several years, had written the lyrics for the performance.




The students have also performed ballads on other social issues. These included the ill effects of drugs and the need to protect and support whistleblowers who speak out against drug abuse. They also sang about the importance of voting wisely and criticised the culture of freebies, referring to free water and electricity, bus travel for women and old-age pensions. Another performance highlighted the use of buprenorphine tablets at de-addiction centres as part of efforts to tackle drug addiction.