Mumbai: Maharashtra is yet to complete any of the school infrastructure works, including toilets for girl students, sanctioned under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in the current financial year 2022-23, the central government revealed in response to a query in Lok Sabha.
The information released by the government, while answering questions posed by Sunil Tatkare, a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), shows that as many as 787 girls' toilets are planned to be constructed in government-run schools in the state this year.
While the construction work has begun for 294 toilets, none of them were completed as of December. Similarly, the electrification and solar panel installations planned at 248 and 387 schools, have not seen any progress so far.
What is Samagra Shiksha scheme?
SSA is a centrally-sponsored flagship scheme started in 2018-19 by subsuming three government programmes - Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
This is a key scheme for improving the infrastructure and quality of education in around 14 lakh government-run schools across the country. While the centre bears 60% expenses of SSA projects, the rest is contributed by the state governments.
State blames delay in SSA funding
The state has blamed the slow pace of work on a delay in the release of funds this year by the Centre. "The Project Approval Board under the ministry of education usually approves the annual work plan and budget for the states, while the funds are released in August or September. However, there has been a delay this year. We just got the money a fortnight ago," said Kailash Pagare, State Project Director for Samagra Shiksha.
Pagare assured that the pending construction will be completed in the current fiscal. "We have released the money to the school management committees (SMCs), which are responsible for carrying out these projects. As these are small works, they will be finished by March," he said.
Projects stalled for want of money
However, the state has still not been able to complete many of the school infrastructure-related works since the scheme began in 2018, shows the information presented in the lower house of the Parliament. Of 2,502 major repairs sanctioned over the years, only 1,370 have been completed, while 543 are in progress. The target of constructing 33 new classrooms - five in 2020-21 and 28 in 2022-23 - is yet to be met.
According to Pagare, the capital expenditure allocated for civil works under SSA has been insufficient. "The contribution of Samagra money is meager [compared to the cost incurred by the government]. We need to pool money from various sources including zilla parishads and district cess. lack of funds is the only reason for pending works," he said.
Poor Infra, Fewer Students
Educationists point out that the central government has been effectively reducing the spending on flagship schemes like SSA, which affects students' attendance and learning in schools.
"There has been an effective reduction in outlay for SSA if one factors in inflation. This allocation is further reduced in the revised estimate, while the actual expenditure is even less than that. If proper toilets are not there in schools, girls simply won't come. The economic survey report recently released by the government shows that the government schools are in dire need of amenities like internet and computers. The students should feel like coming to school," said Sharad Javadekar, Executive President, Akhil Bhartiya Samajwadi Shikshan Hakk Sabha.
In the union budget, the outlay for SSA is Rs. 37,453, slightly more than the 202-23 budget estimate of Rs. 37,383 but more than the revised estimate of Rs. 32, 152. But the actual expenditure on the scheme in fiscal 2021-22 was Rs. 25,061.
According to Pagare, the Centre in January approved a Rs. 597 crore plan to complete pending infrastructure works in around 17,000 schools across the state, for which the centre's share is likely to be released in a month.
