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| CAG paints a grim picture of Education Deptt | | No proper hygiene in schools | | Saqib Junaid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, July 20: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has presented a grim picture about the education system in Jammu and Kashmir.
In its latest report, the CAG said the MDM guidelines envisage construction of kitchen-cum-store for safe storage of food grains and ingredients and for cooking of meals in a hygienic environment. But the audit has found that education department has not maintained any information on position and availability of kitchen sheds in 23165 primary as well as upper primary schools in the state.
"An amount of Rs 49.05 crore was released in February 2012 as central assistance by the MHRD for construction of 6000 kitchen sheds. Against this, 1605 kitchen sheds were constructed during 2012-13 after no construction was taken up by the department. Moreover, 107 kitchen sheds, which were under construction during 2012-13 had not been completed as of March 2015 despite availability of funds of Rs 36.04 crore," the report says.
The audit has found that department had incurred expenditure of Rs 13.01 crore on construction of kitchen sheds during 2012-13, leaving a balance of Rs 36.04 crore un-utilized since then.
Audit noticed that 2422 schools in the state were without drinking water facility. Further it has found that position of the 180 selected schools showed that 85 percent (47 percent) were without kitchen sheds and 77 schools (43 percent) were without the facilities of drinking water. Further in Jammu, out of 90 test checked schools, in 22 schools the meals were cooked under open sky and even in class rooms in eight schools.
Audit noticed that no basic indicators or specific norms to monitor the incremental improvement in health levels in the children (height and weight) for requirement of nutritional status of the children were set by the department to serve as a bench mark. "No action was taken to ascertain the improvement in nutritional status."
As against the requirement under the MDM guidelines regarding services out of MME funds for procurement of weighing machines and height recorders, in 90 test-checked schools of Jammu division, audit noticed that weighing machines and height records were not provided. "However, weighing machines were available in eight schools in Kashmir division but had not been put to use."
The concerned ZEOs/in-charge schools had stated that the nutritional levels of children had not been ascertained.
The joint director planning of administrative department stated that no parameters, modalities to ascertain improvement in children's nutritional status had been fixed by the department.
Audit noticed that no-health care facility had been provided to the children in the selected schools. Only during September-October 2014, two tablets viz folic acid and albandazole numbering 18560 and 768 respectively were provided to the students in two schools out of 180 test-checked schools. "Reason for non-provision thereof were not intimated by the dept."
In some schools audit found children sharing their meal in a single plate due to shortage of serving plates.
Out of 90 selected schools in Jammu region, audit found that in 62 schools there were no containers for safe storage of food grains and ingredients. Against the provision of cooked meals to be provided for 220 days, (on the basis of which annual plans and number of meals to be served are determined) the education department as per the audit had provided meals to the children for 168 days to 195 days during 2010-11 to 2014-15. "There was a shortfall of 29 percent to 44 percent in the number of meals served during the period." |
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