J-K education officials rapped for non-performance

Dismayed over non-implementation of schemes in education sector, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand today rapped the Education Ministry officials for the bleak performance.
"I am dismayed over the bleak performance in implementation of these important programmes and regret the callous attitude of the officials concerned," the Deputy Chief Minister said, pulling up the department officials for failure to implement of flagship programmes of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) in the state.
Chand, who reviewed the progress of flagship programmes in Jammu region's four districts of Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban and Udhampur, expressed surprise over the non implementation of the programme.

Under the Central-aided SSA programme, which was started in 2003-04, 3,446 works out of 6,891 works are yet to be completed and of these 1,632 works have not even started in these four districts during last one decade.
The project envisages construction of primary school buildings, middle school buildings, additional class rooms, cluster resource centre and block resource centres.
The most sluggish progress was noted in respect of construction of additional class rooms, the minister said.

A total of 4,059 additional class rooms were to be constructed in these districts, of which, only 1,354 have been completed, officials informed the Deputy Chief Minister.

An amount of about Rs 62 crore was lying unspent with Chief Education Officers and Zonal Education Officers in these districts on account of non-start of various works.
Under the scheme of strengthening of existing high schools, most of the works are yet to be completed.
While noting poor attendance and enrollment in schools, the Deputy Chief Minister made it mandatory for all the schools to organise monthly parent-teacher meetings and instructed all ZEOs to conduct panchayat wise awareness programmes in these areas for mobilising 100 per cent enrollment particularly of the girl child.