Government schools in Ludhiana got ensnared in a financial quagmire, leaving crucial maintenance tasks in limbo. For close to a month now, these educational institutions have been grappling with a dire scarcity of funds courtesy of the state education department
Government schools in Ludhiana got ensnared in a financial quagmire, leaving crucial maintenance tasks in limbo. For close to a month now, these educational institutions have been grappling with a dire scarcity of funds courtesy of the state education department.
One particularly glaring consequence of this fiscal crunch is evident at a smart senior secondary school in Ludhiana, where construction endeavors are underway to accommodate a burgeoning student population. With the demand for additional space pressing, school officials have been compelled to dig into their own pockets to sustain the progress of this vital project.
Revealing the extent of the predicament, an official, speaking under the veil of anonymity, lamented, "We are for now using money out of our own pocket, but that can’t go on for long." This revelation sheds light on the gravity of the situation, underscoring the urgency for resolution.
Adding fuel to the fire is the backlog of pending physical payment advices (PPAs) valued at ₹3 to 4 lakh, exacerbating the financial strain on these institutions. The process has been further muddied by directives from the education department ordering schools to cease generating PPAs, integral documents in the public financial management system (PFMS).
PFMS, a vital portal facilitating the direct allocation of funds from the Centre to schools, has become a source of frustration rather than relief in this scenario. Despite funds being earmarked, bureaucratic hurdles have stymied access to these critical resources, leaving schools hamstrung in their efforts to address pressing needs.
A principal from Ludhiana, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed the perplexing directive from the block primary education officer (BPEO) instructing schools to refrain from generating PPAs. This bewildering turn of events has left school officials scratching their heads, grappling with deductions from PFMS without the corresponding ability to utilize the allocated funds.
Confirmation of this bureaucratic tangle came from a BPEO in the district, who, while preferring to remain unnamed, acknowledged the department's directive to halt payments. Moreover, the root cause of this financial conundrum lies in the delayed disbursement of funds from the Centre under the Sarv Siksha Abhiyan, as highlighted by Vinay Bublani, the director general of school education, Punjab.
“This was due to the pending disbursement of funds from the Centre under the Sarv Siksha Abhiyan,” remarked Bublani, shedding light on the underlying cause of the issue, as quoted by HT. Despite having utilized 50% of the funds allocated for the current financial year, the awaited third and fourth installments remain elusive, exacerbating the plight of government schools in Ludhiana.