Corporators, cutting across party lines, spoke out against the board administration, while passing the Rs252 crore budget of the board.
Allegations of classrooms without benches, schools without teachers, non-distribution of school uniforms on time and poor midday meals being served to students rained freely against the school education board of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Thursday. Corporators, cutting across party lines, spoke out against the board administration, while passing the Rs252 crore budget of the board on Thursday.
Although the budget was passed for the financial year 2012-13, the administration was at a loss to answer the allegations levied against it.
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator Dilip Barate started the debate by drawing attention to the depleting number of students opting for schools run by the board. NCP corporator Nanda Lonkar and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Rajendra Shilimkar said schools in their wards were running without proper infrastructure and toilets for students and teachers.
Corporators from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) walked into the well of the house with a uniform allegedly distributed to students and compelled the education officer, Ramchandra Jadhav to taste a sample of a midday meal given to students. Jadhav was forced to agree on the need to improve the quality of the meals.
BJP corporator Medha Kulkarni said the level of science education was below par. “We suggested that NGOs should be involved in improving the quality of education but the education board did not heed our requests,” she said. Similar allegations were made by corporator Mukta Tilak, who alleged that the NGO Teach India had tried to approach the education board to improve the quality of education, but it did not show any interest.
Senior Congress leader Aba Bagul’s dream project of Rajiv Gandhi E-learning School came in for its criticism, with opposition corporators alleging the board showed undue favours towards the school.
Jadhav promised to look into the allegations.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}