'Official apathy' hits RMSA in IHK

Srinagar, Jan 30 : While other States have made significant progress in implementing centrally sponsored scheme- Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)- at secondary level in education sector, the program is going on at snail’s pace in held Jammu and Kashmir due to alleged “official apathy.”

The civil works component of the program has been hit as authorities have failed to meet deadline for completion of 69 schools, which were approved by Government of India nearly three years ago.

Informed sources told Greater Kashmir that none of the 69 High Schools approved by Ministry of Human Resources Development during 2009-10 have been completed till date. This is despite the fact that School Education Department had set July 2012 as deadline for their completion.

“So far, not a single school has been handed over to School Education Department in Jammu and Kashmir divisions  as all of them are still being constructed,” they said.

They added that entire amount of Rs 36 Crore   sanctioned for construction of these schools has been released to the executing agency.

Pertinently, these schools were approved by the Project Advisory Board of RMSA on January 9, 2010.  While 31 schools were sanctioned for Jammu, 38 were approved for held Kashmir.

As per the break- up,   four schools were sanctioned for Ramban district and three schools each for districts of Kishtwar Kathua, Rajouri, Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur, Samba, Doda and Poonch. And three schools each were sanctioned for all districts of Kashmir division excluding Kargil and Islamabad (Anantnag). In these two districts four schools each were sanctioned.

 An official, wishing anonymity, said that held Jammu and Kashmir is lagging behind other States vis-à-vis implementation of the scheme. “Our state is even far behind North Eastern States,” he added.

“For instance, Manipur has completed 35 schools against 44 schools approved for it during 2009-10 and even it has completed  50 percent of schools sanctioned during the next year,” the official said, adding Mizoram has completed all 23 schools sanctioned to it during first financial year of the program.

The official alleged: “Inefficiency of three departments- School Education Department, Directorate of RMSA and R&B are responsible for poor implementation of the program. None of them can escape blame for poor progress of the program as it was their responsibility to get works completed on time so that students don’t suffer on want of accommodation.”

When contacted, Director RMSA Hilal Ahmad Parray said completion of the schools was delayed due to number of reasons. “Several hiccups like acquiring of land resulted in delay in completion of the works,” he said.

However the Director said of 69 school buildings, the construction of around 20 schools was expected to be completed by the R&B department in March  this year and remaining institutes would be set up before the end of the next year.

On the other hand, R&B Department said that works are going at satisfactory pace. “There has been no delay on our part,” Chief Engineer R&B Kashmir Mushtaq Ahmad said, adding, “We are expecting to complete a good number of schools in the next few months.”

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