A Govt Resolution (GR) to this effect was issued by the rural development and panchayat raj department on Sept 10
The balance funds available under the 15th Finance Commission can be utilized for school and classroom repairs, construction of new toilets and urinals and repair of existing ones, electrical repairs, provision of clean drinking water, cleaning of water storage tanks, installation of CCTV cameras, provision of fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment and construction or repair of protection walls and entrance gates, according to the GR. In cases where the funds available at the gram panchayat level are insufficient to meet the requirement, the panchayat samiti and zilla parishad concerned should utilize the untied funds available at their level,” Chandrakant Pulkundwar, secretary of rural development department, said. Kailas Gaikwad, one of the office bearers of Maharashtra State ZP Schools Headmasters’ Federation, said many gram panchayats from the state witnessed prolonged rule of administrators until recent elections.
During the meeting, concerns were raised over dilapidated classrooms, non-functional toilets, lack of drinking water and absence of safety measures in a large number of primary and secondary schools run by the ZPs. State rural development minister Jaykumar Gore had directed to issue clear instructions for utilization of Finance Commission grants for school-related works on a priority basis. “All gram panchayats should make necessary changes in their annual development plans and include school repair works as per the prescribed priorities.
“Such administrators had spending powers of upto Rs 10,000 only.
With the state government now clearing the use of 15th Finance Commission funds, we hope the desired makeover of schools takes place at the earliest for the benefit of students,” he said. It compounded the issue of paucity of funds for repairing ZP schools.