Imphal, June 11: The All Tribal Students Union, Manipur has demanded to stop the second instalment of funds for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to the Adhoc School Management Development Committee (ASMDC) until ASDMC is nullified and its account ceased.
In a press meet at the ATSUM office in Nagaram on Wednesday, ATSUM general secretary Lovejoy Shimrah said: “The students’ body firmly adheres to a principle of ensuring an education environment free from favouritism or nepotism. It is perturbed with the anomalies in the practices of the government in implementing the SSA programme and condemns it.”
He further said that the adhoc SMDC was constituted without local committees and has cent percent involvement of a few officials of the education department, few vested people with vested interests and politicians.
“In the first instalment, funds for 365 schools in many villages of hill districts were released. But the constructions of buildings for many schools are yet to begin. Some of the schools were constructed at very far off places from the villages too. So, the adhoc SMDC should be immediately nullified and transaction of money to its account for the second instalment of the primary schools and upper primary schools should be ceased. If the government fails to address the grievances of the populace, ATSUM will write about the anomalies to the union ministry,” he said.
Stressing the importance of constituting School Management Committees (SMC) consisting of local authorities and guardian or parents in every school, he said the state government in compliance to the RTE Act and SSA rules had issued an order relating to the formation of School Management and Development Committee (SMDC) in Gazette vide No. 25 Imphal/Tuesday/ April 19, 2011, adding that “ But, in sheer violation of the RTE Act, SSA rules and contrary to its gazette order, the state government had deprived the citizen’s right by forming Adhoc School Management and Development Committee (SMDC), wherein the deputy Inspector of schools or Assistance Inspector of schools were appointed as the chairperson of the Committee in a meeting chaired by Education Minister on 26th October 2013 at Minister’s Office Chamber.”
He also alleged that ASMDC was formed with a hidden agenda in the name of releasing funds for the construction of school buildings. In the wake of the formation of the ASMDC, there have been many untoward incidents in the state like the assault of a ZEO by Minister Abdul Nasir.
The AI or DI included in the ASMDC is also a hidden agenda of Education Minister.
