Uttarakhand seeks Rs 15 crore for disaster-hit schools

Dehradun, Oct 11: The Uttarakhand government has asked the Centre to sanction Rs 15 crore for the repair and reconstruction of 139 middle schools destroyed in the mid June calamity in the hill state.

The demand was raised by Uttarakhand Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani at the 62nd meeting of Central Education Advisory Board held in the capital yesterday, which was presided by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Jitin Prasada.

According to an official statement, Naithani also placed a demand for increasing the fund amount from the sanctioned Rs 35.94 crore to Rs 88.56 crore for the completely destroyed 131 primary schools, 28 upper primary schools and 577 partially damaged primary school buildings.

He urged the Centre to approve funds in the ratio of 90:10 as in the case of northern region states. Thousands of lives were lost and infrastructure was damaged in the devastating floods, cloudbursts and landslides in Uttarakhand in June.

The union government gave an assurance to consider Naithani's proposal in the budget, the release said.

He also suggested appointment of a yoga and an exercise teacher in every school to be approved at the central level, saying this will not only ensure mental and physical fitness of students, but also give a boost to employment in large numbers.

Thousands of lives were lost and infrastructure was damaged in floods.

The minister also suggested relieving teachers of the responsibility of keeping an account of ration received under midday meal scheme and devising an alternative system for it.

Naithani said teachers should not be given assignments like population count as it hampers education-related work.

Listing the steps taken by the state government to boost education of the girl child, he said cycles have been distributed among girls in the plains, while Fixed Deposit of a decided amount has been deposited in their accounts in hilly areas.

Rs 500 is being given to each student in disaster affected areas to purchase education related material, he said.

PTI