Unsatisfactory implementation of Sarva Shikha Abhiyan in Bihar: CAG

It also said Bihar could not avail the benefit of Central assistance and state share to the tune of Rs 19,279 crore for implementing SSA

The Sarva Shikha Abhiyan (SSA) envisaged to achieve universal elementary education programme is lagging in Bihar with 1,896 eligible habitations yet to see schools, a latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report said.

It also said Bihar could not avail the benefit of Central assistance and state share to the tune of Rs 19,279 crore for implementing the SSA.

The CAG report for the financial year 2012-13 tabled in the Bihar Legislative Assembly today mentioned that in six test checked districts, 206 new primary schools shown as opened to cover eligible habitations were non-functional in absence of teachers.

The report said the state failed to achieve universalisation of primary education as 9.5 lakh children were still out of school as of March 2013.

It also noted that interventions for coverage of school children in the test-checked districts were carried out without basic data, proper evaluation and cases of fake mainstreaming were also noticed. Criticising the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) of 59:1 in Bihar, the CAG said it worsened from 53:1 in 2008-09, and was far behind the prescribed norms of 40:1.

Despite availability of funds, only 56 per cent of new school buildings, 60 per cent of additional classrooms and 26 per cent of headmaster's room could be completed during the eight years in the state. The report talks about lack of basic facilities like drinking water, toilets, electricity, boundary walls, playground among other things in nine to 68 per cent of schools in the state. The auditors noticed short-supply and delayed supply of text books in the test-checked districts. Besides, 110 schools out of 996 surveyed never received any books during 2008-13. Around 43 per cent post of teachers remain vacant in and the student dropout rate of 36 per cent, despite implementation of SSA for over a decade indicates its unsatisfactory performancein the state, the report said.