SRINAGAR : To turn Jammu and Kashmir into a polythene-free state, the state government has asked Education Department to set up paper bag-making units in various schools across J&K.
Directing the civil and police administrations to strictly implement the ban on polythene bags in north Kashmir district of Bandipora and penalise the offenders, Education Minister Naeem Akhtar said the capacity of the paper-bag unit set up by the Education Department at Girls Higher Secondary School (GHSS), Bandipora, will be enhanced to cater to the needs of the town.
“With the help of the staff and students, we will evolve a business model where students become equal partners. With so much of pollution, our environment is degrading slowly, but I want this school to lead the state in creating an alternative for polythene bags,” he said, while directing the GHSS administration to open bank accounts for the students so that the earnings from paper bags are directly credited into them.
A group of 40 girl students enrolled at GHSS Bandipora work at the paper bag making unit set up at the school last year.
The Minister said the Department of Education will seek the assistance of experts for diversifying the range of bags produced by the students so that the markets requirements are met. “We will invite experts to guide us in creating sustainable business models at our schools so that not only Bandipora but the entire state becomes free of polythene. We are also going to open such units in other schools which will be a major intervention towards protecting the fragile environment of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The Minister said the state government diverts quality human resource and a large chunk of budgetary allocation towards the education sector. “However, despite the best of intentions, not all students are able to reach college or university levels. Many students end up dropping out of schools or colleges,” he said.
Mr Akhtar said such students can turn into a burden for the society as well as the government if they don’t have skills for earning livelihood. “We want our students to be armed with skills so that they don’t become a burden for their family or society,” he said. (UNI)
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