MC, Edu Dept at odds over transfer of schools

CHANDIGARH:The tiff between the Municipal Corporation and the Education Department continues despite orders by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) for transferring eight primary schools, which are in dilapidated condition, under the MC to the UT Education Department.

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 14

The tiff between the Municipal Corporation and the Education Department continues despite orders by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) for transferring eight primary schools, which are in dilapidated condition, under the MC to the UT Education Department.

On one side, the Education Department alleges that the MC is unwilling to give away the schools. The MC, on the other hand, says that it has not received any official request from the department seeking the charge of the school.

The UT Education Department had stated in the Program Approval Board (PAB) meeting held this year that it would transfer the charge of eight primary schools from the Municipal Corporation to the Education Department.

A similar commitment was made last year, wherein the department stated that it would take a positive consolidation of these schools as per the Right to Education (RTE) norms.

Saroj Mittal, Deputy Director, School Education, said: “The MC is not willing to give away the schools, though we look after recruitment and budget. We have been asked by the MHRD to transfer the schools to the Education Department.”

Rupinder Singh Brar, Director, School Education, said: “We have written to the MC about the case and it will be decided by the MC in its House meeting.”

Mayor Davesh Moudgil said: “If the department wants to take the schools under its jurisdiction, they should at least give us something in writing. When primary health and primary education was transferred to the MC, it was never transferred completely. The budget, staff, appointment and ACR have been the prerogatives of the Education Department only.”

Moudgil added: “Basically, a department is developed only when all these things fall within the jurisdiction. The Corporation has been maintaining the buildings, but eludes the powers regarding budget, directorate, transfer and the ACR. Everywhere else, including Mumbai and Delhi, schools are with the Municipal Corporation. The clear division of department and transfer is still a major issue in Chandigarh.”

The UT Administration had transferred seven primary schools — school at the PGI building, a school in Sector 12, two double shift schools in Mani Majra, one double shift school in Sector 26, Railway Building, Railway Colony, Mauli Complex, and Buterla — to the MC in 2018.

The issue of the transfer of schools has also been in light owing to the poor condition of schools under the MC and poor utilisation of funds for school’s maintenance.