In most cases of projects sponsored by the Central Government, it has been found that the State Government fails to take them seriously. In these columns we had suggested that the Government should constitute a committee of senior bureaucrats to go into the question why Centrally sponsored projects are invariably delayed and in many cases never brought to completion in our State. It is happening scheme after scheme and nobody seems to be prepared to own the responsibility. When projects are announced, concerned departmental heads give it wide publicity thereby raising the expectations of people who are supposed to benefit from the new dispensation. But soon it proves damp squib.
The case under consideration is the prestigious Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidhyalayas (KGBV) project sponsored by the Central Government. Under the scheme 55 new KBGV schools were to be opened across the State. As work on the construction of these structures was in progress, the School Education Department suddenly issued order directing that further construction of schools under KGBV be stopped. With that order work on these schools buildings was brought to a standstill. Actually at the root of this episode lies the report that serious irregularities had been detected in the construction of KGBV at Nyoma in Ladakh district where the Zonal Officer had refused to take possession of the KGBV building alleging that it was not complete according to the norms set forth by the HRD Ministry. The matter escalated and finally an FIR was fled and the Vigilance Organization took over enquiry into the issue.
The point is that if irregularities were found in the construction of a KGBV at one place why should all the 55 sites be asked to stop further construction when crores of rupees had already been invested in the projects. It is wrong to suppose that all the 55 structures are running the risk of financial irregularities and they deserve to be stopped indefinitely. There is another aspect of this story. In absence of their own buildings, the Vidhyalayas continue to work in rented accommodation. Had these 55 structures come up normally without obstruction, the Department of Education would not have the need to pay enormous amount by way of rent to private accommodation wherefrom these are functioning at present.
We make a loud noise that society is prepared to do all it can for promoting education among the people especially those living in far off pleas. Education is the key to overall progress of the State. But at the same time, we are handling education in a casual manner. The Education Department is already having a mess of affairs in the matter of Rehbar-e-Talim scheme. Recruitment, payment of salaries on time, school buildings, staff and functioning etc. are vital issues on which much debate takes place. KGBV is also going the same way. Education Department needs to chart out a clear administrative policy. If the Department felt that some serious irregularity is likely to crop up when construction of the entire lot of new KGBVs schools is taken in hand, the immediate step it should have taken was to find out the scope of irregularity and its remedy. This would have helped authorities in making use of expert advice.
We would advise the Education Department to realize the consequences of its blanket order of stopping further construction work at 55 KGBVs. Delaying completions of these buildings will mean escalation in the cost of construction plus continued payment of rent for accommodation for the schools and above all a sense of haplessness among the staff and the students. Indiscrete decisions create more complicacies. Nyoma case may go on as per the requirements of law but why should work stop on other buildings?
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