Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Education department to make the optimum utilization of Rs 776 crore earmarked for the state under the Sarv Sikhyaa Abhiyaan (SSA) to impart quality education to the school going children.Presiding over a high level review meeting of the Education department today here at his residence, the Chief Minister categorically said that all out efforts should be made to further upgrade the infra structure in the schools especially in the rural areas so that quality education could be delivered to the students. Mr. Badal said that in the current age of competition the school education was very essential for the all-round development of the students as it was a stepping stone for them to excel in the future. So he said that judicious use of the funds under the SSA should be ensured by the department to provide best education facilities to the students.
The Chief Minister also asked the Education department to submit a list regarding the requirement of upgradation and strengthening of infra structure in each and every school across the state within a month, so that a comprehensive strategy for the development of the schools could be evolved. He said that the state government was committed for providing quality and value based education to the students at every cost for which no stone would be left unturned. Mr. Badal also said that the Education department must lay special thrust on providing the education to the students of the Kandi and Border areas of the state.
The Chief Minister called upon the School education department to evolve a mechanism of making Principals and teaching faculty accountable for the execution of developmental works relating to upgradation of infrastructure besides enhancing the standards of education to enable the students to compete with their counterparts in private and convent schools. He also asked the department to streamline the work of construction in the schools by optimally utilizing the available land for constructing spacious and airy class rooms to facilitate the students.
Meanwhile the Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka assured the Chief Minister that the self sustainable mechanism for ensuring the accountability of the teachers and Principals would be in place shortly to ensure transparency and equity in the deliverance of education in all the schools across the state. Listing out the priority wise allocation of these funds, the Director General School Education Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu said that besides upgrading the infra structure of the schools these funds would be utilized for opening 15 new Primary and 23 Middle schools across the state besides strengthening the infra structure in five residential hostels across the state. He said that the fund would also be spent on distributing free books and uniforms to the students besides imparting training to the teachers to upgrade their expertise. Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included MP Rajya Sabha Mr. Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Principal Secretary School Education Mrs Anjali Bhanwra, Principal Secretary Expenditure Mr. Jaspal Singh and Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. Gurkirat Kirpal Singh.