Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 14: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today impressed upon the Education Department to ensure 100 percent coverage of schools under Drinking Water Supply (DWS) and sanitation facility, adding that focus should also be on dovetailing and combining health programmes to ensure complete health cover to the children.
The Chief Minister said this while chairing a high level meeting to review the progress on Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Mdhymik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) here this afternoon.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Minister of State for Education, Feroz Ahmad Khan, Principal Secretary Planning, B. R. Sharma, Principal Secretary Finance, B. B. Vyas, Commissioner Secretary R&B, Tanveer Jahan, Secretary School Education, Hirdesh Kumar, various Secretaries, Heads of the Departments and senior officers.
The Chief Minister gave nod to the constitution of State Education Advisory Board to give expert advice to Education Department on various issues pertaining to the growth and development of education in the State. He said that the targets fixed under the centrally sponsored flagship programmes should be made time bound and all concerned sensitized.
The meeting was informed that during the current financial year 309 new primary schools will be opened while 138 primary schools upgraded to upper primary level. As many as 10 lakh children including all girls besides boys belonging to weaker sections of the society would be provided financial assistance of Rs 400 each for purchase of school uniforms this year. An amount of Rs 40.90 crore has been earmarked for the purpose. In addition, for free supply of text books to the poor students of 3rd to 8th standard Rs 30.90 crore would be spent this year.
The meeting was informed that under RMSA during the last four years as many as 526 middle schools have been upgraded to the level of high schools while 306 schools have been covered under strengthening programme and 281 high and higher secondary schools under drinking water and sanitation. As many as 17072 in-service teachers have been trained while 2330 high and higher secondary schools have been covered under Annual Schools Grant Scheme.
The meeting discussed issues pertaining to 3rd party monitoring of school buildings constructed under SSA and other schemes as directed by the Chief Minister. It was stated that NABCONS has been engaged for this purpose. Construction of KGBVs, amendment in School Education Act, progress on construction of upgraded high school buildings, construction of model schools, construction of girls hostels and status of mid-day meals were also discussed in the meeting.
The Chief Minister received brief on the involvement of Panchayat Raj Institutions in the task of monitoring supply of mid-day meals to the students in the Government schools.
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