Badal seeks relaxation in distance norms for school upgradation

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Minister for Human Resource Development Dr. M. Mangapati Pallam Raju to relax the ‘distance condition’ to the extent of 3 KM instead of 5-7 KM subject to village population of 1,500 and above and availability of at least 20 students to be admitted in class IX and X under Rashtriya Madhmik Siksha Abhiyan (RMSA). 

The Chief Minister called on Dr. Raju at his residence in New Delhi to apprise him about the issues concerning schools and higher education.

Taking part in the deliberations, the Chief Minister informed Dr. Raju that the state government had already upgraded many schools form Middle to Secondary/Senior Secondary before the start of RMSA.  Henceforth, for many schools ‘distance condition’ was not being met for up-gradation from Middle to Secondary Schools whereas these schools were located in villages with large population.  Consequently, the State government was not getting its due share from GoI under RMSA which amounted to penalizing the state government for the good work done in the past.   

Showing concern over the slow pace of work at Central University Ghudda in Bathinda district, Badal impressed upon the Union Human Resource Development Minister to direct the senior officers of his Ministry for early resolution of the pending issues to speed up the pace of construction there.  He also sought special funds for the schools in the border, kandi and water logged areas to make them at par with the normal areas for imparting the quality education to the students across these difficult areas. 

Badal further impressed upon the Union Minister to evolve a scheme especially for the bright and poor students with rural background who secured 80% or above marks in High or 10+2 examination to provide a level playing field to them so that they could compete with their counterparts of public or convent schools.  He also demanded a skill development program to be initiated for the average students by the GoI.  The Chief Minister also requested Dr. Raju to expedite the World University project at Amritsar which has been pending for past many years.   

Responding to the issues raised by the Chief Minister, Dr. Raju assured him that he would soon take up the matter for relaxing the norms of distance under RMSA and send a team of senior officers to Central Unviersity Ghudda for resolving the issues in the way of its construction promptly on the spot.  He said that he would soon convene a meeting of the Ministry to review the status of World Class University at Amritsar so as to bring this prestigious project on the ground at the earliest. 

The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister  KJS Cheema and Resident Commissioner Punjab Bhawan K.Siva Parsad.