NEW DELHI, JUNE 19
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought the personal intervention of Union Human Resource Development Minister Mrs. Smriti Zubin Irani to establish Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and World Class Central University at Amritsar for offering huge opportunities of higher education to the Punjabi youth for their gainful employment.
The Chief Minister, who called on Mrs. Irani at her office in Shastri Bhawan this evening, apprised her about the state’s spectacular performance especially in school education which too has been hugely lauded by Government of India (GoI). Under the grant in aid scheme to the meritorious schools, Mr. Badal requested the Union Minister for sharing 50% of the non recurring and recurring costs of the state run scheme to impart free education in 11th and 12th standard to the students who secured 80% or more marks in class 10th in the specially established six residential schools across the state. The total investment incurred on these schools was Rs 150 crore and the annual recurring expenditure would be Rs 45 crore.
The Chief Minister also impressed upon Mrs. Irani to relax the ‘distance condition’ to the extent of 3 KM instead of 5-7 KM subject to village population norm of 3000. He also demanded that the schools once covered under RMSA grant should be reconsidered for additional infra structure on need basis. Mr. Badal also sought upward revision in various components of Sarv Sikhya Abhyan besides granting powers to the states to make need based changes viz. Primary school grant should be Rs 5000 to Rs 10000, upper Primary School Rs 7000 to Rs 14000 and Uniform grant from Rs 400 to Rs 800.
Likewise, the Chief Minister also pleaded for leaving the civil component of the plan under SSA and RMSA at the disposal of the state government. He also sought the upward revision of the norms under the mid day meal scheme from Rs 3.59 to Rs 5 per child for Primary student and from Rs 5 to Rs 7 for upper primary students. Mr. Badal mentioned that nearly 19 lakh children in Punjab were covered under this scheme and these norms must be suitably revised to meet the enhanced cooking costs.
Responding to the demands raised by the Chief Minister, Mrs. Irani said that she would get all the issues involved in today’s meeting thoroughly examined in a meeting of her Ministry’s Secretaries along with the officers of school/ higher education before taking a final decision on them.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Cabinet Ministers Mr. Daljeet Singh Cheema and Mr. Surjit Singh Rakhra, Advisor to Chief Minister on National Affairs and Media Mr. Harcharan Bains, his Principal Secretary Mr. SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary School Education Mrs. Anjali Bhanwra and Principal Secretary Higher Education Dr. Roshan Sunkaria besides the Secretary School Education and Languages GoI Mr. R Bhattacharya.
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