Edu Secy’s Balangir visit raises high hopes FRIDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 2011 00:53 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR HITS: 10 User Rating: / 0

Edu Secy’s Balangir visit raises high hopes
FRIDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 2011 00:53 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR HITS: 10
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The two-day visit of Commissioner-cum-Secretary of School and Mass Education Aparajita Sarangi to Balangir district on November 23 and 24, was not less than a VVIP visit, as her visit everywhere evoked curiosity among the people and also sent waves of fear among teachers and other officials associated with school education.

Sarangi’s first-ever visit to Balangir resulted in cancellation of deputations in Patnagarh area, withholding of salary of 52 teachers and placing of as many as six teacher under suspension for dereliction of duty, disengagement of two Siksha Sahayaks (SS), besides rewarding 19 persons including 17 teachers, one BRCC and a chairman of a school management committee, for their good work. Even she had a satisfactory learning from her field visit too.

“My visit to this district is a satisfactory one with very high response from the people,” Sarangi told mediapersons at the end of her visit on Wednesday evening.

“While the work of teachers in rural areas is good, but the work of teachers in municipality and other urban area is very poor,” she said ruefully. “Why this is happening despite so many trainings is surprising and we are looking into this aspect,” she said.

Sarangi lauded public cooperation, saying it has been very encouraging. “We visited Aampali, a remote village in Patnagarh block, only to find the students reading under a tree despite sanction of money for construction of the school building.”

Funds were sanctioned in 2006 for construction of the school building which has not been completed till today. Immediately after her visit, the Allahabad Bank agreed to make payments and the school building would be ready by December, 15, she added.

“The Government of India has stopped funding for the Residential Care Centre (RCC) the children of migrant labourers. We have arranged funds from different schemes and it would be opened by December 15,” Sarangi said.

The bicycle distribution scheme is going well in the district and the distribution of uniforms would be over by December 31, she added.

“One good thing I learnt from the district is supply of carpet to students in the schools where there is shortage of furniture. We are going to experiment it, in other districts too,” the Secretary was happy to note.

She said, “However, the monitoring and supervision part in school education in the district is very poor. Almost all the CRC/BRCC and School SIs are not at all moving to rural areas. We are carrying out an assessment of their performance and action will be taken against the errant officials.”