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| Mobile School children denied mid-day meals Where has sanctioned money gone? | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Aug 20: From 2007 till date, the Government of India under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) provides money for the Mid-Day meals to the children across the country . The mobile seasonal schools which are run under the said scheme (SSA) for tribal Gujjars and Bakerwals in J&K are not being provided any such meals and this according to experts is a big scam .
To provide quality education to the Gujjar and Bakerwal children of the state, the J&K Government launched a scheme in late 1970's known as Mobile Schools which is at present known as Mobile - Seasonal Schools. After the onset of armed militancy the mobile schools in J&K could not function for more than 10 years because of the heavy presence of security forces and militants in the forest areas and it was during the PDP - Congress coalition Government (2002-2008) the Mobile Seasonal schools resumed functioning.
Presently these schools operate in Rajouri Poonch, Doda, Shopian, Budgam, Kupwara, Baramulla, Kargil and many other districts of the State. More than 40,00 students are enrolled in these schools across state. Every year Government seeks services of more than 1100 Educational Volunteers (Teachers) for taking care of these schools and to provide quality education to the Gujjar / Bakerwal children.
The students enrolled at Mobile Seasonal schools are supposed to be provided with Mid-Day but according to the reliable sources the majority of the mobile schools do not provide these meals thus raising a question mark on the credibility of the School Education Department. Where is the money going which has been earmarked for the Mid-Day Meals ? The tents are supposed to be provide to each mobile schools but the tents have been provided to the mobile schools during 2006 , 2007 and 2008 of Budgam and have never been replaced till date in majority of the schools . According to details the tents were provided to scores of mobile seasonal schools in 2006 and 2007 in Budgam but till date they haven't been replaced. The tents are totally damaged and their condition is totally filthy and this forces the children to sit under open sky while taking lessons from the teachers and whenever there is a rainfall such schools are shut or else the students have to take shelter under trees. The parents of the students allege that there are no blackboards and the stationery is also not being supplied to their children in majority of the educational zones across state. "Only one tent has been provided in the year 2008 for 45 Mobile Seasonal centers (schools) in Charar-e-Sharief zone and in such a pathetic condition how can we provide quality education to these poor children?" said Tariq Ahmad a Seasonal Mobile teacher from Charar e Sharief zone who is District President Budgam of JK Seasonal Mobile Teachers Forum .
Woes of Mobile Seasonal Teachers: The Mobile Seasonal teachers are engaged for a period of six months only and from the last many years they have been worried about job security. " We are being paid a monthly salary (stipend) of Rs 4000 and from 2004 till date there has been no revision in this stipend . The salaries of Government officials have been increased under 6th pay commission but we have been totally ignored," said Gulzar Ahmad who is the General Secretary of J&K Seasonal Mobile Teachers Forum . The teachers are not provided to them many years back and those have been damaged and the teachers are forced to take shelter in Gujjar dokes etc. In addition to this teachers are working in very harsh situations , living all away from home but no allowances are being paid to them . The whole months stipend is spend on the purchase of ration etc. "We demand some job security and continuation of our empanelment for the whole academic year, in addition to it some risk allowance must be provided to us as we are on duty for 24 hours in harsh conditions" said a seasonal teacher Mehraj-u-Din Sheikh from Khansahib who is also fighting for the rights of the seasonal mobile teachers for many years. The Member Parliament GN Ratanpuri recently assured the Mobile Seasonal teachers that this matter would be taken up by him with Ministries of HRD and Labour in New Delhi. It is pertinent to mention that Ratanpuri happens to be Member Consultative Committee of Ministry of Human Recourse Development (MHRD) and he is also the standing Committee Member of Ministry of Labour. |
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