The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Proper utilisation of education funds sought

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Monday, Feb 25, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Proper utilisation of education funds sought

K. Manikandan

Plea to improve facilities in schools in three municipalities

PHOTO: A.MURALITHARAN

More attention: Proper utilisation of funds could help improve facilities in schools run by municipalities in the southern suburbs. A view of the Tambaram Municipal Higher Secondary School. —

TAMBARAM: Office-bearers of Parent Teachers Associations and School Committees of institutions maintained by the municipalities of Tambaram, Pallavaram and Alandur have urged the local bodies to ensure that funds earmarked for education be properly spent on improving basic facilities in the institutions.

It is obligatory on the part of these three municipalities to devote a portion of the annual collection of property tax towards school maintenance as stipulated under Section 37 of Tamil Nadu Elementary Education Act, 1920. But PTA office-bearers, School Committee members and activists felt the municipalities need to devote more attention to the matter.

The three municipalities in the southern suburbs of Chennai established primary and middle schools long ago and continue to maintain them.

The municipalities even appointed teachers and paid their monthly salaries until this aspect was taken over by the School Education Department about a decade ago. However, it was still these urban local bodies’ duty to ensure adequate furniture and proper care of buildings and other facilities.

Officials of the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply said rules made it mandatory for these urban local bodies to set aside 11.5 per cent of the property tax collected for general purposes that include two per cent of it for school maintenance. With the combined annual property tax collection around Rs. 10 crore in the three municipalities, setting aside two per cent for school improvement and ensuring proper utilisation of funds could have significantly improved facilities in these schools, a PTA member said.

There are only about 20 schools in the three municipalities maintained by them and a majority of them required attention. Some lacked compound walls, others proper roofing and some others classrooms and they have been in this condition for years together, said a municipal councillor and a School Committee Member in the suburb who preferred anonymity.

Many of these municipal schools had their own playgrounds, but lacked proper sports kit and rooms to store them. However, municipal officials and elected representatives said plans were in place to improve the conditions. Alandur Municipality would be spending Rs. 90 lakh to renovate schools, while Pallavaram Municipality had set aside Rs. 1.5 crore for improvement works. Tambaram too had allotted a considerable amount. A few high schools were upgraded as higher secondary ones, officials said, adding there would be a visible improvement in the condition of municipal schools .

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