Govt for qualitative

New Delhi, Dec 3 (UNI) The Government is looking to bring about a qualitative as well as quantitative improvement in the educational sector during the Eleventh Five Year Plan, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

In a reply during Question Hour, Minister of State for Human Resource Development D Purandeswari said, though the proposed expenditure on the educational sector during the 11th five year plan was not available as it was yet to be finalised, the Government would be looking for a qualitative as well as quantitative improvement in allocation on educational sector during the plan.

''We are looking at a rapid upgradation of primary schools to secondary schools, setting up 6000 quality model schools at the block level, imrpoving laboratory facilities in schools, setting up special schools for girls and bringing 30 million children under the ambit of the mid day meal scheme,'' the Minister said in reply to suplementaries in the House.

In the higher education, the Government was looking at increasing the capacities of the IITs and the IIMs among other measures, she said.

Ms Purandeswari said, the focus of the eleventh plan would be on universalisation of education. She informed that a total central plan allocation of Rs 28,671 crore had been made for education for the year 2007-2008, of which the expenditure between April 2007 to September, 2007 was Rs 8,258 crore.

Replying to another question, Minister for Power, Sushil Kumar Shinde said the Government had formulated a scheme for appointment of franchisees in rural areas to undertake distribution of power and collection of bill in rural areas.

He said 14 states had reported appointment of franchisees.

''It has been seen that the apointment of franchisees in these areas has led to numerous benefits to the power sector like imrpovement in customer services, enhancement in revenue collection and reduction in A T&T losses,'' the Minister said.

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