Eighty-three government schoolteachers in Jalandhar are facing disciplinary and legal action for allegedly skipping their Census duties. The local administration has directed the district education department to withhold their salaries and not mark their attendance in schools without prior approval.In the show-cause notices served on the teachers, the administration has warned that failure to perform Census work could attract action under the Census Act, 1948, including imprisonment of up to three years and a fine worth Rs 1,000.The action follows as these teachers had failed to carry out assigned house listing survey work despite attending training sessions and receiving survey kits, identity cards and appointment letters.According to the notices issued by the Charge Officer-cum-Tehsildar, Jalandhar-2, on May 29, each teacher had been allotted a house listing block (HLB) for the survey, but no progress reports were submitted by those served with notices.The notices require the teachers to appear before the officials concerned and explain why action should not be initiated against them. The notices further state that if the explanations submitted by the teachers are found unsatisfactory, proceedings may be initiated under Section 11(1)(a) of the Census Act, 1948.The action comes at a time when the Census authorities are already grappling with a shortage of field staff.Gursimranjit Singh, Tehsildar, Jalandhar-2, said, “These teachers have been assigned duties in areas where their schools are located. Census is a government duty. I am already facing a shortage of nearly 40 enumerators in my area. We have issued show-cause notices under the due provisions of the Census Act.”A similar crackdown has also been seen in Phillaur, where eight employees, including government teachers and anganwadi workers, have been served show-cause notices for allegedly failing to perform Census work.Teachers here have, however, cited health concerns, workload and far-flung deployment for not carrying out the assignments. The administration has said that all replies will be examined on merit before any final decision is taken.