TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: The Directorate of Education on Thursday said that schools in urgent need of maintenance and infrastructure facilities will be given preference while availing financial benefits under the reformulated grant-in-aid scheme announced by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for aided educational institutions Wednesday.
As many as 30 schools are likely to get financial assistance this year itself with the total disbursed amount touching Rs 50 crore.
Additional Director of Education, Anil Powar said that institutions will have to apply for the interest-free loans and grants and their proposals will be selected by a committee depending on the work requests and their urgency.
The schools will have to spell out their requirements which could range from construction of toilets, renovation of old ones, playgrounds, renovation of institution building and or procurement of equipment for security of the school.
The Directorate of Education is of the view that requests may pour in for construction and renovation of toilets as many institutions have toilets which are in very bad condition.
Likewise many requests could come for playgrounds as again several institutions use open spaces not belonging to the institution.
“Schools can now use the grants for purchase of land for playgrounds,” said Powar.
The new scheme will also facilitate the process of procuring equipment for school security such as CCTV cameras. However, it will not include appointment of security guards and security personnel.
“In the previous scheme announced in 2002, as many as 200 schools had availed the benefits of such a scheme,” Anil Powar said.
Heads of institutions await details of the scheme and its implementation as they claim that the Education Department has clearly stated as to how it would select the 30 schools in the first round and there was need for clear cut guidelines.
