Adhir files papers, hopes for sixth win from Berhampur
In Berhampur, five-time Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury submitted his nomination for the sixth time, today.
Education minister, Suresh Bhardwaj on Friday said that the government will review the educational institutions based on norms to ensure quality.
In reply to a question by Congress member, Vikramaditya Singh from Shimla (Rural) constituency in the state Assembly, Bhardwaj said no educational institution has been closed so far. “However, the government will review the institutions opened without following laid down parameters and norms,” he said.
He said the previous Congress government had denotified 158 schools with zero enrollment and had merged 109 schools which had less than five children enrolled in them.
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“All these institutions did not fulfill norms. We will also have to look into the issue in a similar manner,” he added.
Bhardwaj said as per norms for primary schools, enrollment of 25 children is must with the criterion of walking distance of one and a half kilometers. For middle, school, 25 children are must in the fifth standard, with criterion of walking distance of three kilometers.
“But the previous government notified so many schools at the fag end on poll eve without caring about norms and without financial approval,” he said, referring that a teacher had come to him that he should be transferred elsewhere because there was no student in the school.
In the midst of this, the Congress members alleged that the minister was playing politics while answering the questions.
While the minister denied it, Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur too intervened and said there was nothing wrong in correcting the wrongs done previously.
He said he had the information that how many institutions were notified just for political benefits on the poll eve last year without budget, without staff and without infrastructure.
“If I start talking about this the list would be long. But the present government has a open mind and we will see wherever necessary, we will run the institutions. But if the strength of students is not there, what is the need of running an institution,” CM said.
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