The school education department is yet to distribute the uniforms among the students enrolled in government-run institutions despite the passage of three months after class work resumed post-winter vacations.
An official said the government of India under SamagraShiksha has already released Rs 52 crore for the purchase of school uniforms.However the department is yet to procure the uniforms.
“From the current year, the contract to purchase schooluniforms was given to J&K handloom department. It took us around two monthsto finalize technical specifications after which the order was placed with thehandloom department,” an official said.
He said the decision to outsource the purchase of uniform tohandloom or SICOP was taken after government of India raised objections overthe previous process, saying that the stuff of uniform was not up to the markand the colour also varied from institution to institution.
“We roped in handloom department, who agreed to providequality uniform within the same unit cost as approved by MHRD. The uniform willhave 65 cotton stuff and 35 percent viscose. The colour and stuff will be samefor all schools across valley,” the official said.
He said the uniform sample was tested at national level tocheck whether it will cause allergy to skin. “But the sample was approved afterundergoing laboratory test,” he said.
Out of Rs 52 crore released by ministry of human resourcedevelopment (MHRD) Rs 15 crore has been released to handloom department. “Therest of the amount will be released to them after distribution of uniformsamong students,” the official said.
MHRD under Samagra-a centrally sponsored scheme, providestwo sets of school uniforms free to each student in government schools. Forthis the school education department is provided with a unit cost of Rs 600which was Rs 400 till last year.
Earlier, the zonal education officers (ZEOs) were purchasinguniforms for students in violation of set norms and would give contract to asingle firm without seeking sample of the cloth used for the uniform.
Greater Kashmir carried a series of stories about how themoney meant for school uniforms was allegedly swindled at zonal level invarious districts wherein ZEOs would outsource the purchase of uniform toselected firms.
As per norms, the uniforms were to be procured by theconcerned school heads and distributed to the students after displaying thesample before the village education committee (VEC). But ZEOs would swindle themoney by procuring uniforms from selective firms or shops without inviting anycompetition from other sellers to bargain the rates.
State Project Director (SPD) Samagra Shiksha, Arun KumarManhas said the uniforms will be distributed in schools from May 20.
“There has been a delay in it because it took us time todiscuss the specification. I made it a point to decide specification under thegiven unit cost and got the sample tested from Delhi. Besides distribution wewere equally concerned about the quality of stuff,” he said.