CCpur schools : ZEO men in the dark
Source: The Sangai Express / S Singlianmang Guite

Lamka, July 28 2011: Despite the purported efforts being put in to improve the educational infrastructure in the State, the sketchy and opaque process adopted while taking up construction of school buildings have only opened up ample scope for double-dealings, stirring suspicion over the Government's real intention.

The Sangai Express came across several loopholes while trying to draw information on how many schools in Churachandpur district have buildings of their own.

Authorities at the Zonal Education Office here could not furnish the information when sought as they claimed the department was left in the dark while construction work was taken up on its institutions under myriad schemes the Government has announced over the years.

"We can only provide you information of construction work taken up under SSA.

For the remaining schemes that have taken up for construction of schools, we have no information about them," an official at the Education office here said.

Under the circumstances, it is evident that a mechanism to check any overlapping while sanctioning construction funds under the myriad schemes is not in place.

Over 8 schemes implemented by different Government agencies, according to sources have taken up construction of schools over the years apparently at their own whim, providing ample scope for influencing the people who are deemed to be close to the sanctioning power.

It can also lead to duplicity of work agencies.

Centrally sponsored schemes such as MSDP, BRGF, BADP, PMGSY, NLCPR, SPA, SSA and RMSA have provisions for taking up school construction and accordingly allocations have been made each year.

In some instances, schools have also been constructed under MLADS and the Army have also occasionally taken up the responsibility under its MCAs programmes.

There are a little over three-hundred-and-sixty Government-run and aided institutions in Churachandpur district as of today which are entitled to receive grants from the Government, it is obvious that each of the 8 schemes will only need to take up 45 school constructions in a single financial year in order to contain all the schools.

Some schemes have for instance taken up more than that in the last financial year.

Except for one or two, the remaining are in existence for more than a year each.

It is therefore unmistakably clear even for a layman that manoeuvring does exist, and it is a serious one at that as many schools in the district are still void of any visible structure till today.

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