School shoes distributed for free in Kpi District
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpokpi, September 07 2018: Free school shoes were distributed to the school children, which is a part of the voluntary noble initiative spearheaded by Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Education Minister Th Radheshyam under School Shoes Fund, to provide free school shoes as basic part of free uniform to every child at the elementary level in Government schools, in a launching programme held at Conference Hall, ZEO Kangpokpi in the presence of Wanneilen Serto, MFS, Finance Officer, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Manipur, Sana Ningthim, Sr Account Officer and Chitra Prakash, ADPM, RMSA and Lhingneikim Kipgen, ZEO Kangpokpi.

School shoes for students of Class I to V in various schools under ZEO Kangpokpi were handed over to the concerned authority free of cost after the launching program while the ZEO Kangpokpi and officials of SSA and RMSA also visited Goma Devi High School in Toribari and Kalapahar High School in Kalapahar.

SSA Finance Officer, Wanneilen Serto, MFS and ZEO Kangpokpi, Lhingneikim Kipgen also distributed school shoes to students of Class I to V at Goma Devi High School and Kalapahar High School and interacted with the concerned school authority while entrusting them to distribute the remaining shoes to the school students.

The MFS officer while interacting with the media persons said that School Shoes Fund is a voluntary noble initiative with a sole aim to provide school shoes to every child studying at elementary level in Government schools.

He said that as per the current norms of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, two sets of uniforms are provided for all girl's students and children belonging to SC/ST/BPL families in Government schools with a ceiling of Rs 600 per child per annum.

However, there is no provision for school shoes in the free distribution of school uniform, the lack of which has defeated the very purpose of providing free school uniform among the students and the launching of free school shoes will help less privileged group to make stayed their children in the school which is the sole purpose to retain high enrollment of the students, he added.

He also said that the noble initiative of Chief Minister of Manipur and Education Minister to provide free school shoes as basic part of the free uniform after the authorities concerned felt the need to bridge the gap in the existing system.

He continued that currently as many as 22,000 pairs of shoes have been distributed in all sixteen districts of the State while the distribution has already been completed for the districts of Pherzawl, Kamjong and Tengnoupal.

He further said that the Department of Education (S) undertook a partnership venture with Romi Bag Industries, Imphal for the supply of school shoes at Rs 190 per pair of shoes irrespective of the size for students from Class I to V including tax.

While envisaging that the noble initiative may be further extended to all the stakeholders of education in the State such as employees of various departments of education including SCERT, BOSEM, COHSEM, etc in particular and parents, SMDC, social activists, local clubs, NGOs, etc in general, the MFS officer said that one can be an ambassador of the scheme by donating towards the School Shoes Fund.

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