BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Wednesday announced to provide free uniforms and shoes to all schools students at the elementary level. “To avoid any kind of inferiority feeling among students it has been decided to extend the facility to all students,” said School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash and added that identity cards will also be issued to streamline the enrollment system in Government schools.
Officials of Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA) said until now, free uniforms and shoes were being provided to all girls from Classes I to VIII while for boys, it was provided only to those belonging to SC/ST and BPL categories. After the recent announcement, boys belonging Above Poverty Line (APL) category will also get the benefits, OPEPA authorities said.
The Government, which currently provides two pairs of school uniforms, one pair of black shoes and two pairs of white socks to each student, spends around Rs 600 per head. In districts falling under cold climate zones, the District Education Officers (DEOs) and District Project Coordinators (DPCs) have been authorised to provide one pair of uniform and a sweater to students instead of providing them two pairs of uniforms.
In another development, Dash ordered deduction of one day’s salary of employees who were found missing during his surprise visit to Balianta block education office in the city’s outskirts. He also asked department officials to serve show-cause notice to the absentees asking them as to why disciplinary action should not be taken against them. The Minister also paid a surprise visit to two schools in the area and interacted with the students and teachers.