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UT Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’s governing council lies defunct
Ten years after it was set up to keep tabs on the use of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds in the union territory, the Chandigarh Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Mission Society’s governing council has virtually become defunct. Headed by the UT administrator, the society was formed in 2003 under the Society Registration Act.
Ten years after it was set up to keep tabs on the use of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds in the union territory, the Chandigarh Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Mission Society’s governing council has virtually become defunct.
Headed by the UT administrator, the society was formed in 2003 under the Society Registration Act.
While the Act mandates the council must hold at least two meetings a year, it has held only one —in November 2010, convened by the home-cum-education secretary at the time, Ram Niwas. Although the last education secretary, VK Singh, began the process to convene another meeting in 2013, this never materialised.
Several teachers recruited under the SSA said many issues pertaining to the monitoring the Abhiyan, such as regularisation of JBT and TGT teachers, had been ignored due to the council’s ineffectiveness.
“We’ll appeal to UT administrator Shivraj Patil, who is also the council’s president, tomorrow to call an urgent meeting of the council,” said a teacher.
Educationists in the city, meanwhile, said there was an urgent need to have an effective SSA governing council as the Abhiyan’s annual expenditure had crossed 500 crore.
“With the enactment of the Right to Education Act, arva Shiksha Abhiyan funds are now primarily used for the effective implementation of the Act’s provisions, which makes the need for a strong council all the more urgent,” an education department official said. The council consists of 40 members, including the adviser to the UT administrator, education secretary, director of public instruction (schools) and district education officer. Senior department officials could not be contacted for their comments.
