Students during exams at Shaheed E Azam Sukhdev Thapar Government Senior Secondary School, Bharat Nagar Chowk, Ludhiana. (Express photo) Students during exams at Shaheed E Azam Sukhdev Thapar Government Senior Secondary School, Bharat Nagar Chowk, Ludhiana. (Express photo)

The grant of Rs 21 crore allotted in state budget of 2017-18 to buy benches for government primary schools in Punjab has lapsed unspent since the education department of Punjab failed to finalise tenders and purchase order.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Prashant Goyal, director general of school education (DGSE), Punjab, confirmed that the amount could not be withdrawn in fiscal 2017-18 due to delay in finalising purchase order. “There was some delay in finalising the order. Now, we will use the fresh amount of Rs 23 crore allotted for school furniture in this year’s budget,” he said. “This year, all primary and middle government schools will have adequate benches,” he said.

In majority of government schools in the state, children of classes 1 to 5 sit on floor as there are no benches. There is no provision to buy benches under the central flagship scheme, Sarva Shiskha Abhiyaan (SSA), and the education department entirely depends on state government for school furniture expense.

However, not a penny of the Rs 21 crore could be used as the Controller of Stores department failed to finalise rates at which benches were to be purchased, which delayed tender process.

In the recently concluded final examinations in government schools of Punjab, children were seen sitting on the floor, under the sun and trees due to lack of benches and space. Often, school heads collect money from NGOs or NRIs to buy benches or ask someone to donate.

While presenting the state budget for this fiscal (2018-19) a few weeks back, state’s Finance Minister Manpreet Badal in Vidhan Sabha had claimed that “remaining primary schools as well as all middle schools” will be covered in 2018-19 and announced Rs 23 crore for benches for the same, apparently unaware of the fact that not a penny of what he allotted for primary schools in 2017-18 had been actually spent.

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