5% GST on school uniform puts teachers in a bind

Balwant Garg

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Tribune News Service

Faridkot, March 11

The School Education Department’s direction to all government schools in the state to pay five per cent GST on the purchase of uniforms for about 16 lakh students has landed the school authorities and teachers in a difficult situation.

Students from Class I till VIII are entitled to get a complete set of uniform worth Rs 400 under a scheme launched in 2010-11.

Uniforms of all girls, SC and BPL boy students in government schools from Classes I to VIII are funded by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry. The uniforms are provided once a year.

A set of uniform includes a trouser, a shirt, a pair of shoes, socks, a cap or turban and a warm sweater for a boy and a kameez, salwar, dupatta, warm sweater, a pair of shoes and socks for girl students.

As Rs 400 is a very small amount for a complete uniform set and teachers are contributing from their own pocket to purchase uniform from the open market after making various bargains, the School Education Department’s direction to all schools not to purchase any uniform without paying the GST has made it more difficult.

Any school found guilty of purchasing the uniform without bills or paying of the GST will be strictly dealt with, said Prashant Kumar Goyal, Director General School Education (DGSE), in a letter to all school heads.

“When we are unable to purchase a complete set of uniform with Rs 400, the extra burden of about Rs 20 as GST on every uniform will further disturb all calculations,” said Prem Chawla, convener of the Teacher’s Joint Front.

More than 16.05 lakh Class I to VIII students in 12,974 primary, 2,676 middle, 2,448 high and 1,921 senior secondary government schools in the state are eligible for free winter uniform.

What to talk of extra burden of GST on the uniforms’ purchase, the department couldn’t even provide funds to purchase uniforms for over 70 per cent of girl students and SC boys in primary and middle government schools by the end of November 2017, teachers said.

Unable to provide the earmarked amount of Rs 60 crore, the School Education Department last year gave school uniforms only to students of primary classes.

Director General of School Education (DGSE) Prashant Goyal confirmed about the paucity of funds under the SSA programme.

Even about 40 per cent of the primary school students in the state did not get the uniform, they said.

In Faridkot district, out of total 23,474 eligible students from Class I to VIII in government schools, the department has released funds for only 12,589 students so far. All these students, 6,835 girls, 5,695 SC boys and 59 BPL boys are from Class I to V.

As per information from the department, 8.5 lakh girls, 6.05 lakh SC boys and 1.5 lakh BPL boys are eligible to get free uniforms in the state. Total Rs 64.20 crore funds are required to provide uniform to all these students.