Minister denies TDP's allegations on misuse of SSA funds

Hyderabad, Mar 1 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh School Education Minister N Rajya Lakshmi today denied Telugu Desam Party's allegation that the government was hastily nominating its partymen on the management committees of schools to ''misuse Rs 500 crore allotted by the Centre under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), which would lapse in March end.'' Answering a question by P Sujatha, Ch Babu Ramesh and others of the TDP in the House, she said the state government was focusing on primary education.

The Minister said the present government had decided to introduce nomination system in place of election system introduced by the previous TDP government as the contestants for elections to the management committees were indulging in violence.

Stating that a stringent procedure was being followed for the appointment of the committees, she said irrespective of party affiliations, sarpanch of a village was being nominated as the Chairman.

Ms Lakshmi said the election system introduced by the previous TDP government had politicised the education system, resulting in group rivalries.

Earlier, the TDP members alleged that only Congressmen were being nominated on the committees and the move was only to ''swallow'' Rs 500 crore allotted under SSA.

TDP member K Achannaidu alleged that even anti-social elements were being nominated on the committees.

UNI