*Only 2 KGBV functioning in own buildings
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 17: In what could be termed as major blot on its performance, J&K has failed to construct 97 residential schools during the past eight years despite release of earmarked funds by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry under its Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) scheme.
Even after lapse of such a long period, there is no end to the prevailing situation as the file relating to grant of additional funds required to complete buildings of 97 residential schools is shuttling between Planning and Finance Departments during the past two years with no positive decision.
Sources told EXCELSIOR that Union Government launched Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) scheme in J&K in the year 2006-07 for setting up of residential schools at upper primary level for girls belonging predominantly to the SC, ST, OBC and minority communities.
The scheme was launched in educationally backward blocks where the female rural literacy was below the national average and gender gap in literacy was above the national average.
During the period between 2006-07 and 2011-12, Union Human Resource Development Ministry sanctioned a total of 99 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas for Jammu and Kashmir and earmarked sufficient funds for construction of buildings for all these residential schools.
However, the slackness of the engineering wing of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan led to spillover of the work on each of these 99 residential schools, which resulted into escalation of the project costs and subsequent non-completion of the buildings, sources informed.
“Out of these 99 residential schools only two—one each in Srinagar and Leh districts are functioning in own buildings and rest of others are functioning from rented accommodation ever since their sanctioning by the HRD Ministry”, sources informed, adding “the functioning of 97 KGBVs in rented accommodation is against the spirit of the scheme”.
They further disclosed 11 residential schools are nearing completion but for want of few lakhs of rupees over and above the cost fixed and released by the HRD Ministry, which was the outcome of price escalation, these could not be put to use despite lapse of considerable time and the entire expenditure has become unfruitful.
Disclosing that even single brick has not been laid in respect of 97 residential schools during the past more than two years, sources said that following detection of embezzlement of funds in respect of two Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and subsequent registration of FIRs by the State Vigilance Organization, the then Chief Minister in the year 2012-13 issued orders for handing over the task of constructing all the residential schools to the Roads and Buildings Department of the State.
However, while revising the cost of residential schools in view of price escalation and by adding the provision of boundary walls, the Roads and Buildings Department worked out the requirement of additional Rs 60 crore and projected the demand before the concerned authorities.
“Initially this requirement was placed before the Union HRD Ministry but the same was rejected on the ground that guidelines of the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya scheme cannot be relaxed in case of a particular State and J&K should meet this additional requirement from its own resources”, sources informed.
This stand of the Union Ministry was justified as price escalation was the outcome of the slackness of the concerned authorities of the State, who had the responsibility of completing these residential schools during the period the same were sanctioned by the Union Government.
“Thereafter, the requirement of additional Rs 60 crore was projected before the Planning and Finance Departments but the file is still shuttling between these two departments without any decision”, they said, adding “due to this the fate of 97 residential schools is hanging in balance contrary to the spirit of the Central scheme”.
When contacted, State Project Director, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, S S Leharwal confirmed that fate of 97 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya buildings is hanging in balance for want of additional funds. “We have requested the Joint Secretary in the HRD Ministry, who was in Jammu yesterday, to give special dispensation to J&K”, adding “this issue would also be flagged in the forthcoming meeting of Project Approval Board of the HRD Ministry”.
He too confirmed that State could not sanction additional funds due to its resource constraints.
Follow our WhatsApp channel