| Despite funding, 80 % of Govt schools in Jammu have no library | | Where has the money gone, ask Jammuites | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 8: Even as New Delhi has been giving crores of rupees as grant to the education department for proper schooling in Jammu and Kashmir, almost 80 percent of government schools in Jammu region have no library facility thereby affecting the educational activities, a government report has found.
Even though the government has made it mandatory for schools to have library facility and regular aid was granted for the purpose, the swindling of such funds over the years cannot be ruled out.
As per the government report accessed by the Early Times, out of the total of 12,000 odd schools run by government 9,810 of them don’t have library facility.
Official sources said this is despite the fact that annually each of the schools would get at least Rs 10,000 as aid for maintenance of the library.
Educationists said library was a must for such educational institutions so that the “schoolchildren get access to the literature they need not only for their routine class work but also to widen their knowledge.”
“Library is not only about academic books but also about providing newspapers and magazines so that the students and the staff members remain updated about the world happenings,” explained an academician.
He said the library also helps in developing among the kids the habit of book reading. “Libraries also help in academic research and are also a source of information for the teaching staff,” said a retired educationist.
In the last 70 years since the erstwhile state was largely ruled by the “dynasts”, Jammu has been a story of constant neglect while the plight of educational institutions in the winter capital region looks even pathetic.
As already reported by the Early Times, the government schools in Jammu division lack basic facilities like electricity.
Out of the total of 12,323 schools in Jammu, 5,360 are without electricity though a huge sum was annually granted to each of such schools for the purpose.
Officials said that Jammu and Kashmir had been getting regular grants from the Ministry of Human Resource Development for maintenance of schools including supply of power and potable water.
Official sources said over the years, New Delhi released a staggering amount of more than 10,000 crore rupees as annual grant for government schools in the erstwhile state. |
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