State Education Department has failed to come up to the expectations of Prime Minister’s announcement made in his speech of 15th August last year from the rampart of the Red Fort. The Prime Minister had said that in one year, all Government schools in the country would be provided with proper toilets. The project was floated under three schemes—Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Swachh Vidyalaya Programme. While the first two components of the scheme were the concern of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the last one was left to the care of the respective State Governments, State Education Departments. This scheme was extended to J&K also.
In a tele-conference of the Cabinet Secretary with the high ranking officials in the State including the Chief Secretary and Secretary Education Department, it was revealed that the State had not been able to implement the scheme. Not even 50 per cent of the task was completed. Naturally this became a matter of concern with the PMO which is tasked to monitor the progress all over the country. Startling information has been revealed showing how the State Education Department has treated the entire scheme very casually. For example, the J&K Government was required to construct 18500 toilets but officers of the School Education Department gave details of only 6915 toilets, which were disputed by the HRD Ministry team. The figures given by the State Government were only of one component viz. Swachh Vidyalaya Programme. It did not report what progress had been made on the other two components which were assigned to the State Education Department.
Most of the States in the country have responded to the project as efficiently as they could. However, it is unfortunate that our State is usually lagging behind others in almost all the major schemes launched by the Centre from time to time. Is it soft-paddling of the State Government on these projects or is it something else that works against the interests of the State.
In the first place it is a matter of shame that even after nearly sixty-eight years of independence, all of our Government schools are not provided with toilets. Now that the Prime Minister announced a national scheme of providing toilets in all Government schools in the country, it is sad that our State hasn’t provided appropriate response to the announcement of the Prime Minister. Approximately, two third of the funds needed for the scheme are provided by the Centre in which one component is of the Corporate Houses. In other words there has not been any paucity of funds for implementing the scheme. Why then should have our Government treated it casually is a matter of great concern.
We would touch upon another point in this connection. We have co-education in Government schools in the State. As such, it is of highest priority that these schools are provided with separate toilets. Why the authorities at the School Education are not alive to this necessity reflects their lack of sensitivity.
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