Session about to end, dept clueless on winter uniform

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 11

The state has once again failed to provide winter uniform to government schoolchildren. The 2018-19 academic session is about to end and over 12.7 lakh students are yet to get the uniform.

It’s been a month since Centralised tenders were floated for the purchase of the winter uniform, but the Education Department is yet to place an order to get the same stitched. The Ministry of Human Resource Development had released the funds months ago, sources said.

The department could not place the order when the first bidding took place as of the two bidders, only one was found eligible. The government has been facing flak from all quarters as the session ends on March 31.

Director General, School Education (DGSE), Prashant Goyal said: “After the cancellation of the first tendering process, we got a few applications. We will place the order soon. “The students will not get the uniform this winter as the process may take one or two months. By the time, we get the formalities done, the session will be over,” he said.

On December 31, the Education Department had asked the District Education Officer to purchase winter uniform through the School Management Committee. But defying its own order, the department decided to purchase it via the tendering process that delayed the distribution.

Hardeep Toderpur, Teachers’ Union leader, said: “The state deliberately delayed the process and the students had to attend the session in summer uniform. This shows the authorities’casual approach.”

Process will take 2-3 months: official

"We will place the order soon. However, the students will not get the uniform this winter as the process may take one or two months. By the time, we get the formalities done, the session will be over." Prashant Goyal, DGSE