Lapses in SSA: Long delays in providing books, uniforms

The Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) of India has brought to fore various grave irregularities in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Haryana.

The CAG report, which was tabled in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Monday, said the SSA, launched in 2001 in the state to provide elementary education all children of in six to 14 age group, had borne poor results.

The report added that learning enhancement programme was not planned properly as only Rs 1.23 crore out of budgeted amount of `15.12 crore was spent during 2008-2013 while the enrolment of students had decreased from 14.55 lakh to 13.44 lakh in primary schools during 2008-13. The number of out of school children was 1.25 lakh against the target to bring it to zero.

There were long delays in providing books and uniforms to students. Further, in the absence of risk and cost clause in the contract agreement for supply of books, the department had to incur extra expenditure of Rs 5.9 crore, the report said.

A total of 32,504 (80.3%) out of 40,472 works were completed during 2008-13, while 468 civil works pertaining to the period 2003-07 remained incomplete, the report said, adding there were 54,063 teachers against 72,446 posts in primary and upper primary schools indicating shortage of 18,383 (25%) teachers. Further, there were excess teachers in some districts and shortage in other districts.

Performance audit was conducted from October 2012 to August 2013 covering the office of state project director, Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad and district project coordinator (DPC) offices for the period 2008-13.

The CAG report observed that district plans were not prepared properly after conducting proper survey or obtaining data from village level. Further, individualised education plans for each child with special needs were not made by any of the DPCs. As a result, a number of interventions like 'learning enhancement programme', 'deprived children in urban areas' and 'minority community students' could not be implemented properly.

The Parishad stated that planning was done at the district level and then compiled for preparation of state plan. The CAG report said the planning at the district level was not up to the mark as there were discrepancies in district plans and these were not prepared properly after conducting proper survey or obtaining data at village level.

The CAG report said since bank reconciliation statements were not prepared by the Parishad and as a result of this embezzlement had also occurred.

The enrolment at primary school level had decreased during 2008-13. There was improvement in enrolment of students in upper primary schools. The objective of the programme to bring all children in schools or alternate schools was not achieved as about 1.25 lakh students were still out of school at the end of March 2013. Further, interventions for out of school children, NPEGEL, uniforms, free text books, children with special needs, were not implemented properly, as a result, the funds remained blocked and objective of each intervention could not be fully achieved.

There were also deficiencies in execution of civil works such as lack of planning, delays in completion, extra expenditure, sub-standard execution, etc. There was shortage of teachers to the extent of 25%.

Shortfall in imparting in-service training to teachers and induction training to JBT teachers were also observed. The audit findings were discussed with principal secretary, school education department, during the exit conference held in January 2014, the CAG report said.