Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday announced a Rs 10-lakh incentive for the best-performing school management committees (SMCs) at the block level and launched a new portal to assess govt schools, even as the state continues to face criticism over inadequate infrastructure, teacher shortages and school closures.
The incentive will be awarded for school development, with the best-performing SMCs selected on the basis of their performance through the newly launched Sach (school assessment and community harmony) portal. Saini also empowered SMCs to spend up to Rs 1 lakh on urgent repair and maintenance works, including toilets, drinking water facilities, boundary walls and other essential infrastructure.
Expenditure of up to Rs 25 lakh will be permitted with the approval of the additional deputy commissioner concerned.
The announcements were made during a virtual interaction with school management committees across the state, attended by education minister Mahipal Dhanda.
The Sach portal will evaluate govt schools on parameters such as infrastructure, enrolment, academic performance and community participation. During the interaction, Saini reviewed facilities including cleanliness, drinking water, toilets and sports infrastructure, besides board examination results, parent-teacher meetings, student enrolment and participation in programmes such as Super-100 and Buniyad. He also asked schools to undertake plantation drives under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign and directed officials to carry out regular inspections.
The initiative comes amid repeated debates in the Haryana Assembly over the condition of government schools, with the Opposition raising concerns over inadequate infrastructure, lack of basic amenities, shortage of teachers and the rationalisation or closure of schools.
Deputy leader of the opposition Aftab Ahmed questioned the government’s claims, saying, “There is a difference between announcements, making claims and actual work. Audit paras are yet to be corrected. Go through the records and minutes of assembly sessions where such claims are made.”
He urged the govt to address longstanding deficiencies on the ground alongside announcing new initiatives.
