120 Karnal govt schools get 6.2K desks

Parveen Arora

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Karnal, August 25

Students in government schools in the Karnal block will no longer sit on mats in classrooms as 120 schools of the block have been provided with 6,200 dual desks.

CM launched Project

After the CM launched the project, we had sought the requirement of dual desks in the Karnal block. The school committees were given the power to purchase desks. Raj Pal, DEO

Upgraded infra a priority

Upgrading infrastructure in schools is a top priority of the govt. We have sought the requirement of desks from schools of the remaining five blocks as well. Anish Yadav, DC

It is for the first time in Haryana that the school management committees have purchased dual desks. Earlier, a high-power purchase committee used to purchase desks.

Owing to the shortage of desks, students were forced to sit on mats even in winter in many schools of the block.

The Tribune had highlighted the issue recently.

Students also showed their excitement over the delivery of new desks.

“We have been sitting on the floor for several months due to the shortage of desks. The new desks have beautified our classrooms,” said Amit, a student.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had announced the purchase of dual desks by the school committees in June, for which he selected Karnal block.

Of the 168 government schools in the Karnal block, 120 had raised the demand of 7,705 dual desks. Of the 7,705 desks, as many as 6,200 desks have been provided so far.

The authorities in the Education Department claimed that the remaining would be provided within a week.

“After the CM launched the pilot project, we had sought the requirement of dual desks from schools in the Karnal block. The school management committees were given the power to purchase desks following a proper procedure,” said Raj Pal, District Education Officer (DEO).

“I have also asked the principals to make a list of the desks that needed repairing. A demand for a budget to repair 1,637 has been sent to the higher authorities,” the DEO added.

A steering committee at the block level, comprising the Block Education Officer (BEO), senior-most principal, one member from the school management committee and one member from the parents-teachers’ association was also constituted. This committee kept vigil on the whole process.

District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO) Rohtash Verma said this step was initiated to empower the school committees and active participation in uplifting the infrastructure in schools.

About the process, the DEEO said: “They had called all willing vendors and apprised them the specification of the dual desks. They also displayed samples at clusters level. Quotations were invited from vendors. A committee comprising the DEO, DEEO, BEO, all cluster coordinators and school management committees finalised the rates.”

Samples of desks were being sent for quality test and payment will be made only after the samples have passed the test, the DEEO added.

Deputy Commissioner Anish Yadav said they would implement this step in all blocks soon, adding: “We have sought requirement of desks from schools of the remaining five blocks as well.”

“Upgrade of the basic infrastructure in schools is of the utmost importance to the government. We will take up this initiative in other blocks soon,” the DC said.