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| J&K not interested in educating Gujjars-Bakarwals: Audit | | Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidhyalaya Scheme fails to take off! | |
KGBV hostel building being used as cattle shed
Syed Junaid Hashmi
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 20: Jammu and Kashmir government took no major steps to increase literacy rate among Gujjars and Bakarwals despite Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs sanctioning several hundred crores of rupees for the same.
Gujjar Ministers of the previous NC-Congress coalition government alongwith 8 MLAs and two cabinet ministers of the present ruling PDP-BJP coalition government neither protested nor ever asked their respective governments to take the issue of utilisation of the funds earmarked for people living in tribal areas seriously. Centrally sponsored Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidhyalaya Scheme (KGBVS), under which funds had been separately allocated for the sole purpose of increasing literacy rate among tribals failed to achieve its objective in J&K. Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry increased the scope of the KGBVS to cover the blocks that have rural female literacy below 30 percent as per Census of 2001. However it was noticed in 3 test checked districts namely Rajouri, Poonch and Kargil that they did not have the basic data of Census of 2011 of ST population and female literacy rate. Jammu and Kashmir government for reasons best known to it had opened KGBVs as per the data of census 2001. Construction of 99 KGBVs building was approved for 20 districts in the state during the period 2004-05 to 2010-11 at the cost of Rs. 44.23 crore by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). However, Audit found out that after incurring an expenditure of Rs. 11.02 crore, only 13 works were completed, 52 works are in progress and 34 works were yet to be taken up for varied reasons.
Audit has further said that details of total funds released and utilised were not made available. On being asked, the department reasoned flooding of office at Srinagar for being unable to provide the records. In 6 districts where ST population is significant, Audit found out that 31 KGBVs had been sanctioned between 2005-06 to 2010-11 and only one schools was running in own buildings and 30 schools were running in rented building.
Besides, Audit further found out that out of these 31 sanctioned, 19 schools in 5 districts had residential facility, 3 schools (Poonch) were running as routine schools without hostel facility in contravention to Scheme guidelines. An audit team which physically surveyed KGBV Doongi in District Rajouri found out that hostel and schooling facility had not been provided to students in a single building due to non completion of construction of KGBV building.
Audit also noticed shortfall in providing of uniform is also noticed. Besides incomplete hostel building of KGBV Doongi, (District Rajouri) was being used by locals as cattle shed. KGBV Saral in District Poonch was being run as day boarding and some students had to cover a distance of 20 Km per day (to and fro) every day thereby defeating the purpose of establishment of KGBV. Further, an amount of Rs. 2.68 crore was released to CEO Anantnag for provisioning of uniforms to the students during 2013-14 on March 29 and 31, 2014. Hence, the same remained unutilised.
On being asked, CEO Anantnag stated that it is not possible to utilize the funds judiciously within the same day of its release. It was further found out that school uniforms had not been issued to enrolled girls during the entire period of 2011-14 in KGBVs Anantnag, Leh and Kargil. In KGBVs Rajouri and Reasi which has significant ST population, only one set of uniforms was issued during 2013-14.
In another ST dominated district of Poonch; against two set of uniforms, only one set of uniform was issued during 2011-14. Audit was shocked to learn that despite being clear guidelines, neither local language was incorporated in curriculum and text books nor any training was imparted to teachers working in tribal areas during 2011-14. Thus, due to non-availability of educational material in local languages using resources available within the community and also lack of efforts of special training for non-tribal teachers to work in tribal areas as mentioned in the guidelines, the social and cultural support through their study material could not be extended to the students.
Non-seriousness of the state in providing proper infrastructure to the tribal population of J&K reflects from the fact that in the six districts surveyed by the audit team; out of total 445 Secondary schools, 377 were running without library rooms, 380 had no computer lab, 412 were without integrated laboratory rooms, 242 were without Principal rooms and 435 had no activity room for girls. Similarly in these districts; out of total 157 Higher Secondary schools, 88, 108, 107, 66 and 157 schools were running without library rooms, computer lab, integrated lab rooms, Principal rooms and girl's activity rooms respectively.
This non-seriousness in taking care of the tribal populace of the state does raise serious questions on the intent of the state government in providing much needed support and infrastructure to the Gujjar and Bakarwal people of the state to increase literacy rate among them. |
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