PCMC completes distribution of school essentials to 49K students

Many hiccups and hurdles later, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has managed to complete the distribution of ‘school essential kits’ comprising raincoats, shoes and stationery to nearly 49,000 students through its Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiative, officials said.

Under the DBT, essential school items like bags, raincoats, shoes, socks and geometry boxes are distributed to students in 128 PCMC-run schools. These ‘school essential kits’ are distributed every year in the month of July however this year, the PCMC introduced the digital e-Rupi payment system to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the process which led to the nearly two-month delay.

According to officials, the first phase saw the distribution of these kits to around 39,000 students while the remaining 10,000 students received their kits during the second phase. The second phase included students who had been enrolled late in their respective schools, as per a statement released on Thursday.

Shekhar Singh, municipal commissioner, PCMC, said, “This year’s successful implementation of the DBT has enabled us to provide high-quality essentials to our students. Digital payment systems like e-Rupi ensured that funds were used efficiently, directly benefitting the children. With the experience gained from this year’s initiative, we are confident of an even quicker and more efficient process in the future, ensuring that every student continues to benefit from such initiatives.”

Assistant commissioner, Vijay Thorat, emphasised the learnings from this year’s distribution, stating, “The hurdles we faced have provided invaluable insights, which will allow us to streamline the process and ensure faster execution in the next academic year. Parents or students who have any quality issues with the received essential items will be able to report and replace the material from the respective school.”

Pradip Jambhale Patil, additional commissioner, PCMC, said, “By utilising e-Rupi, we have optimised fund usage and simplified the entire process for parents and students. The challenges from this year, including vendor empanelment and verification of quality products, have provided valuable learnings that will ensure faster and more efficient DBT implementation in the coming years.”

Despite challenges such as incorrect mobile numbers and delays due to school holidays, the education department remained proactive. As schools reopen after the Ganpati holidays, students will continue to receive size-specific shoes that have already been delivered to the schools by the vendors, officials said.