School Education Department staff told to spend funds as per guidelines

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 8

Taking serious note over the misappropriation of School Improvement Fund (SIF) by Drawing and Disbursing Officers, the J&K School Education Department has asked the officers to spent the funds as per the guidelines laid down in the Jammu and Kashmir Educational Institutions Improvement Fund Rules.

Sources said the order was issued by the department after it came to the fore that the Drawing and Disbursing Officers were making misappropriation of SIF by diverting them for other purposes, which was viewed seriously by the higher authorities.

“If any officer/official is found involved in misappropriation of SIF by diversion of the same, stern action as warranted under rules will be initiated against such delinquent officers/officials without any further notice”, a School Education Department circular said.

“Already the yearly grants being received by the government schools in J&K to carry out repairs/maintenance are meagre and now misappropriation of funds by the officers/officials has made things more difficult. Around 0.12 per cent school buildings in J&K are in a dilapidated condition, while 6.99 per cent classrooms require major repairs. The department will keep a tight vigil to ensure that the SIF will be utilised properly”, a School Education Department official said.

“Recently, a parliamentary standing committee has also expressed concern over the pathetic state of affairs in school education in J&K. It has emphasised upon the government to ensure full utilisation of allocated funds meant for strengthening the Education sector in J&K. As compared with other states and union territories across the country, J&K is way behind both in terms of infrastructure and in learning outcomes”, the official added.

J&K is among 7 under-performing states/union territories of the country in terms of poor infrastructure in government schools where students have no access to basic facilities like electricity, playground, drinking water etc. They added that the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) had also recently put on hold its plan to improve the quality of education in J&K citing insufficient funds to execute the same.