Amid biting cold, 43% school students yet to receive winter uniform in Punjab

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 21

Amid biting cold, thousands of students in Punjab government schools are yet to receive their winter uniform. Only 57 per cent of eligible students have received the same while the rest are forced to make do with last year’s worn-out cardigans.

Every year, the Education Department provides uniform to girls and students belonging to SC and BPL categories from Class I to Class VIII, including shoes, for which schools are given

Rs 600 per student. After the “centralised tendering system” in the 2018-19 academic session to provide uniform proved ineffective and invited bitter criticism from teachers’ unions across the state, the Punjab Government this year asked school management committees to undertake the task.

Ironically, this initiative too seems to have failed. Despite funds having been released in September, many school committees have failed to provide uniform to the pupils even as the Education Department has declared holidays from December 25 to 31 because of severe cold conditions.

Head teachers say they have already placed orders and delivery is expected in a few days. It is learnt that in Fazilka only 17.6 per cent of the total 78,367 students have received the winter uniform.

Patiala District Education Officer (Primary) Amarjeet Singh explained: “There may be some delay in uploading data. Uniform has been given to most of the students.”