Plans for Improvement in education sector restricted to papers only

Plans for Improvement in education sector restricted to papers only
Nitesh Sangral
JAMMU, May 08: Government planned to upgrade some of the education institutes of the state and the Government of India has approved the same about a year ago but still nothing concrete has been done so far. In this regard the Government of India (GOI) approved of up-gradation of the State Institute of Education (SIE) Jammu to the level of Institute of Educational Management and Training (SIEMAT) subject to furnishing of a proposal by the state government and also taking-over of the project once its central funding was over. A provision of Rs 3 Cr. was kept for the project in the 10th plan under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). According to the CAD, inspection of the records in February 2011 of the State Project Director (SPD), Ujalla Society, J&K showed that the state government proposal forwarded to the GOI in July 2005 was returned for modification in the light of certain observations made by the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA). In anticipation of clearance of the project by the state government, the society received Rs 2.10 crore from GOI for implementation of the project out of which the society released Rs 60.00 lakh in favour of SIE, Jammu which was lying unutilized as of February 2011. Reports says that the remaining Rs 1.50 crore had been diverted by the society, without approval of the grant sanctioning authority, for other spillover works not covered under the programme. The society had not maintained project-wise details of the funds received by it. Funds for all the projects were amalgamated and consolidated utilization certificate were also submitted annually to the grant sanctioning authority without giving project –wise details of receipt figures. The project director stated that the project had not been cleared by the state government so far and every effort was being made to finalize it. The reply is not tenable as the society should not have released or utilized the funds for activities not covered under the programme without clearance of the project by the state government. Lack of monitoring of the approved projects by the government, non-existent internal control in the society coupled with inaction of the government in finalizing the project resulted in blocking of Rs 60 lakh for the period ranging between 36 and 46 months and diversion of Rs 1.50 crore. It is not the first time when the centre government has sanctioned funds to state government for some project and due to the not completion of work in fixed time prescribed by the authorities causing blockage of funds.