*Four years on, the HRD ministry's scheme to build hostels for girls in secondary and higher secondary schools in the educationally backward blocks of the country is yet to be implemented. *
Besides the ministry's project approval board clearing 1,925 proposals from various states and actually sanctioning 958 hostels, the scheme -formulated in 2008-09 and revised subsequently in 2012—remains only in paper.
The scheme proposes to build hostels to accommodate 100 girls in each of the 3,479 educationally backward blocks in the country. It targets girls between 14-18 years in classes IX-XII belonging to SC/ST, OBC, minority communities and those from BPL families.
So far 355 hostels have been sanctioned for Andhra Pradesh and 156 for Rajasthan. Out of 958 sanctioned, only 585 are on the basis of revised rates.
Concerned by the apparent lack of progress, a Parliamentary standing committee has pulled up the government for its inability to implement it on time.
"From the details made available to committee, it is quite clear that not even a single hostel has been constructed so far. In other words, the scheme virtually remains on paper. The scheme is yet to take off," the panel, headed by Rajya Sabha MP from Congress, Oscar Fernandes, stated in its report tabled in Parliament recently.
The committee observed that the government set a target to cover all the educationally backward districts within the 11th plan period and the Planning Commission had allocated Rs 2,000 crore.
However, "surprisingly" it has taken the government the whole 11th plan period merely to revise the norms. The scheme, formulated in the second year of the 11th plan, therefore remains on paper.
"The second year of the twelfth plan has already begun, but revised proposals from quite a few states are still awaited. The committee does not have much hope about the hostels coming up (even) by the end of the twelfth plan," the panel stated.
Revised proposals has been received from Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand, while the HRD ministry awaits the same from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura.
It is yet to receive any proposal from Kerala, Manipur and Dadar & Nagar Haveli. The remaining states have either sent in incomplete proposals or those that do not conform to the norms.
"The committee views this pace of progress of a scheme meant for girl students from educationally backward areas with great concern. This scheme has to be implemented in a mission mode, constraints notwithstanding," the committee said. Reported by Deccan Herald 1 hour ago.
Besides the ministry's project approval board clearing 1,925 proposals from various states and actually sanctioning 958 hostels, the scheme -formulated in 2008-09 and revised subsequently in 2012—remains only in paper.
The scheme proposes to build hostels to accommodate 100 girls in each of the 3,479 educationally backward blocks in the country. It targets girls between 14-18 years in classes IX-XII belonging to SC/ST, OBC, minority communities and those from BPL families.
So far 355 hostels have been sanctioned for Andhra Pradesh and 156 for Rajasthan. Out of 958 sanctioned, only 585 are on the basis of revised rates.
Concerned by the apparent lack of progress, a Parliamentary standing committee has pulled up the government for its inability to implement it on time.
"From the details made available to committee, it is quite clear that not even a single hostel has been constructed so far. In other words, the scheme virtually remains on paper. The scheme is yet to take off," the panel, headed by Rajya Sabha MP from Congress, Oscar Fernandes, stated in its report tabled in Parliament recently.
The committee observed that the government set a target to cover all the educationally backward districts within the 11th plan period and the Planning Commission had allocated Rs 2,000 crore.
However, "surprisingly" it has taken the government the whole 11th plan period merely to revise the norms. The scheme, formulated in the second year of the 11th plan, therefore remains on paper.
"The second year of the twelfth plan has already begun, but revised proposals from quite a few states are still awaited. The committee does not have much hope about the hostels coming up (even) by the end of the twelfth plan," the panel stated.
Revised proposals has been received from Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand, while the HRD ministry awaits the same from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura.
It is yet to receive any proposal from Kerala, Manipur and Dadar & Nagar Haveli. The remaining states have either sent in incomplete proposals or those that do not conform to the norms.
"The committee views this pace of progress of a scheme meant for girl students from educationally backward areas with great concern. This scheme has to be implemented in a mission mode, constraints notwithstanding," the committee said. Reported by Deccan Herald 1 hour ago.