Over 3 lakh 'ghost children' in Assam govt schools

There are over three lakh 'ghost children' in government schools in Assam who were registered during the erstwhile Congress government in the state for embezzling public money, an official release said on Monday.

The figure of enrolled school students was 46,69,970 from class I to XII in the 2018-19 academic session, which is lower than 49,82,180 of 2016-17 session in government and provincialised schools, the release said.

The erstwhile Congress government had showed these fake figures in government schools to embezzle public money sanctioned for text books, midday meals and uniforms of the non-existent students, it said.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who reviewed the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, was told that more than 3,12,000 were identified as 'ghost children', it said.

Taking a serious view of the corrupt practice, Sonowal said at the review meeting that strict action would be initiated against those found guilty.