CHENNAI: After a delay of nearly four months, the school education department has released Rs 63.20 crore of maintenance grants for government schools across the state. State education officials blamed the central government for delaying funds over the setting up of PM SHRI schools in TN.
Under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, the schools are provided composite maintenance grants ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh depending on the strength of the students. While these funds were released in a single instalment until two years ago, it is now being released in two instalments. The funds can be used for the day-to-day expenses of schools like carrying out minor repairs, cleanliness activities and purchasing teaching learning materials.
This year, the first instalment was released in October. The second instalment has been released only now when the summer holidays have already begun. Of the funds released, the department has also asked the schools to spend Rs 110 per teacher for buying sim cards for the tablets that would be issued to the them.
A Ramu, President of the Directly Recruited Post Graduate Teachers Association, urged the department to release the entire funds when the schools reopen so they can plan the expenditure for the next academic year.
“When the minor repairs in the schools are ignored due to lack of funds, it will damage the infrastructure in the long run. The department should ensure timely release of the funds,” he added.
School education department officials said that the central government released the funds only after an MoU was signed for PM SHRI schools.