"Disconnection drive contravenes RTE"
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 30, 2011:
The on-going drive to disconnect power connections of un-authorised consumers and consumers having bill debts for more than three months is seriously threatening the Right to Education (RTE) of students, asserted the All Manipur Recognised Private Schools� Welfare Association.
The ongoing power disconnection has seriously affected students preparing for the class X and class XII exams conducted by Board of Secondary Education Manipur and Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur, class X pre-Board exam and common examinations of class V and VIII.
Class X examination for 2010-11 would begin from March 25 while the class XII examination is scheduled to commence from March 16.Class X pre-Board exam, and common exams for class V and VIII would begin tomorrow (January 31). Class X pre-Board exam is very important as eligibility of students to appear in the final class X Board exam would be determined by their performance in the said pre-Board exam.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here today, general secretary of All Manipur Recognised Private Schools� Welfare Association Kh Japan alleged that the issue of unavailability of power and inability to collect power bills are largely results of insincerity on the part of the Electricity Department officials and employees.
It is unfair to jeopardise career of students at a time when they are preparing for important exams like class X exam and class XII because of ineptitude and insincerity on the part of the Government, particularly Electricity Department.
The ongoing drive is violating the Right to Education of the students.
Chief advisor of the association N Tomba lamented that private schools located in Manipur did not receive uninterrupted power for two hours in the last 10 years.
Power bills indebted to employees of Electricity Department and the MLAs should be collected first.
This absurd act of disconnecting power lines and denying electricity to the public should be stopped at once.
President of the association Doren Kha-Nganba pointed that one unit of power costs Rs 6 in Manipur whereas it costs just Rs 4 per unit in all the neighbouring States.
In this connection, the association has made all preparations to file a case against Electricity Department.
He further appealed to all concerned not to call any bandh or general strike during the pre-Board examination beginning from tomorrow.
He also urged to make BSEM functional at the earliest.