Principals empowered to spend on school

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 3.

In a significant move towards decentralisation, the Delhi Government has decided to empower heads of its schools to spend up to Rs. 1 lakh for maintenance of buildings and on other smaller expenditure without prior approval from above.

An announcement was made by the Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dikshit, at a function here today by the Directorate of Education to distribute merit scholarships to the students belonging to minorities and economically backward sections. As many as 500 students were provided with the scholarship.

Asserting that principals have been facing a lot of problems due to non-delegation of financial powers, resulting in it taking unusually longer time to complete even smaller repair works, Ms. Dikshit said: ``The Government has taken a decision to give financial powers to the principals of Government schools to spend Rs. 1 lakh on account of maintenance of the school building and on other petty expenditure.''

With this delegation of financial powers, Ms. Dikshit said: ``Now principals can spend this money on small heads to provide a better atmosphere where students can get good education, without any problems.''

Announcing that the Government had set a target of 100 per cent literacy in the Capital from the 82 per cent now, she said: ``For this we will give special facilities and amenities to all the schools, be it Government or Government-funded ones.''

She urged the heads of schools to create an atmosphere where all- round personality of students is developed. No excuse would be taken from them on the quality of the education. ``Delhi being the Capital, should set an example in the field of education. But it is shameful that we are lagging behind,'' she said.

Ms. Dikshit appealed to principals and teachers to motivate students to participate in the clean Yamuna drive after the monsoons. ``This will help in cleaning the atmosphere and environment in Delhi,' she observed.

The Delhi Education Minister, Dr. Narendra Nath, presiding over the function, said the Government has completed 60 per cent of maintenance of all its schools, including providing basic civic amenities like electricity, drinking water, ceiling fans and toilets.

``Principals will be responsible for maintenance the schools. Absenteeism of teachers will not be tolerated and severe disciplinary action will be taken,'' Dr. Nath warned.

He urged principals to ensure that teachers were not asked to perform works than teaching like making pay slips, salary bills and other clerical jobs. Referring to a number of complaints in this regard, Dr. Nath said: ``The job of a teacher is to impart education and nothing else.'' The Director Education, Mr. Gyanedra Srivastava, also spoke.

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