Nagpur: With the Budget of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for 2016-17 round the corner, to be presented for the first time on a Sunday (March 27), various departments of the local body have forwarded their ‘wish list’ with the hope of garnering a major chunk of budgetory provisions. The Education Department, historically the most neglected department, too has ‘staked claims’ for hefty fund to improve the affairs of hundreds of schools run by the NMC. In a memorandum submitted to the Chairman of Standing Committee, the chief of Education Committee Gopal Bohre has pushed for adequate money in the Budget to implement various projects in the NMC schools.
Following are the demands of Education Committee for allocation of funds:
Installation of CCTV cameras in schools
• Faced with the increasing insecure atmosphere prevailing in present days, specifically the spurt in kidnapping cases, the Education Committee has stressed the need for installation of CCTV cameras in all the schools of NMC. The Department has sought provision of Rs 1 crore for installation of CCTV cameras as a security measure in all the schools.
Facelift and repairing of school structures
• At present, a fund Rs 2.50 lakh is reserved for each zone for the purpose of maintenance and repairing of schools. The fund is inadequate. The amount should be increased to Rs 4 lakh for each zone.
Funds for social gatherings
• Social gathrings in schools are necessary to ensure allround development of students vis a vis cultural, knowledge and physical apart from educational quest. The Chairman of Education Committee has demanded a provision in the budget of Rs 5000 each for primary schools as well as Rs 20,000 for middle schools towards organisation of social gatherings, sports meets and other events.
Training, interaction sessions among teachers to ensure quality education
• It has come to notice that due to lack of adequate knowledge about NMC norms and guidelines among most of the school headmasters and teachers the administrative follies occur. Training and interaction sessions are must for teachers to ensure quality education as well as overall performance of schools. An effective provision under Atal Behari Vajpayee Education Conservation Scheme is required.
Installation of water filters and water coolers
• Most of the students studying in NMC schools belong to weaker sections of society. The students are provided nutritious meals for two days a week and snacks on daily basis by NMC. Need is being felt for installation of water filters and water coolers to provide clean and cool water to students in accordance with the strength on the rolls.
Computers
• The State Government has undertaken computerisation of schools in a major way. The NMC should equip its schools with at least five computers, a printer and a scanner each to ensure smooth working of various chores.
Apart from aforementioned demands, the Chairman of Education Committee Gopal Bohre has sought budgetory provisions for providing toys and sports equipment to various NMC schools, modern laboratories, school uniforms, educational material, comfortable benches and desks and snacks for students who attend various events organised by NMC from time to time.
– RAJEEV RANJAN KUSHWAHA ( rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com )
