BHUBANESWAR : The department of Water Resources (DoWR) has decided to hand over 14 schools currently under its management to the fold of the School and Mass Education (SME).
The transfer is part of a larger plan to address the overlap between the two departments, with the ultimate goal of improving educational services. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by development commissioner and additional chief secretary of DoWR Anu Garg. Of the 14 major irrigation project schools, there are five high school, three upper primary and six primary schools.
Senior officers of the department have been assigned the job to conduct a joint inspection of these schools along with the officers of the SME department to assess the manpower, student strength, school buildings, fixtures and furniture to facilitate handing over of these schools. This verification process will be completed within a month.
Based on the inspection report, a decision will be made whether these schools will be merged with nearby schools or continue functioning independently as before, sources in DoWR said. Once the transfer of these schools is completed, it will be the responsibility of the SME department to take care of the staff and regularisation of their services in the department, the sources added.