Orissadiary, Oct 31, 2011
Bhubaneswar: A district-wise budget process is the need of hour which can eradicate regional imbalances in terms of state resource allocation and spending, said civil society think-tanks in a workshop on the District Budget for Elementary Education in Odisha conducted by one of the state’s leading NGOs, CYSD here recently.
The study covered four tribal districts namely Koraput, Kalahandi, Keonjhar and Sundargarh. It highlighted acute deficit of elementary teachers in these districts. However, the concerned funds are not spent fully.
In Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts, the SC ST development department (SSD) shared only 4 per cent to 6 per cent of the total funds utilised in elementary education.
Surprisingly, the SSD has not spent a single coin in any kind of infrastructure establishment. The size of off-budget funds flow is very high. Plan expenditure is not prioritised in the tribal districts. A study done by CYSD-OBAC in four tribal-populated districts on budgetary practice of elementary education revealed in all four districts, the school and mass education department (SME) has not spent a coin in school building, additional classroom, urinal, toilet, water supply, boundary wall construction or its repairing works.
Such expenditures were made by Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) only. As per data of 2009-10 financial year, about 24 per cent to 54 per cent schools of concerned districts don’t have students’ conveniences. In the same financial year, the SME has allocated only Rs 549 to Rs 920 per school for furniture, library, teaching aids, sports equipment.
The allocated funds of SSA for teachers’ salary head are lying unspent. Expenditures on teachers’ training are comparatively low.
Kalahandi and Keonjhar districts are poor performers in spending allocated budget on these heads.
Schools inspection is seriously neglected. A maximum Rs 400 was allocated for school inspection per month per inspector. Expenditure on girl child education is very low too.
Free text book distribution under SSA has been seriously neglected. In some cases, only Rs 18.06 was spent per student for the purpose, where as the average norm is Rs 150 for primary and Rs 250 for upper primary students.
Similarly, in financial year 2009-10, there are insignificant differences between estimated amount and actual expenditures made for Mid Day Meal (MDM) programme.
This might be the outcome of the MDM stopped in hundreds of schools due to various reasons.
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