The Times of India 18.03.2013
Students of 15 Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation schools yet to get shoes
PUNE: Students of 15 primary schools out of the 136 run by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are yet to get their shoes even as the academic year is about to end.
"The contract to purchase shoes was given to a contractor for Rs 70 lakh. However, another bidder went to the court against the school board. As a result, the board could not distribute shoes in time. The distribution (of shoes) has begun and it will be completed soon," said PCMC school board chairman Vijay Lokhande.
The court in December last year upheld the decision of the board to give the contract to the lowest bidder. The contractor began supplying shoes on January 15, 2013. "He has been given a period of 60 days, excluding holidays, for completing the distribution process," said Lokhande.
The school board runs 136 primary schools with a student strength of 50,000. The contractor has informed the board that the supply of shoes is in the final stage and only students of 15 schools are yet to get them.
The school board is in news for major delays in distribution of school items including text books, rainwear, sweaters and now shoes. Many a time, students get the items months after the academic year has started.
Students, mostly from slums and poor families, study in municipal schools to get free education. But they have to face several hardships due to delays in getting school items. Lokhande said that there will be no delay for the next academic year as the school board will be inviting bids for allotment of contracts by March end or in the beginning of April. "We will complete the tender process in May so that the contractors will supply all these materials in June. This will ensure that students get the education material on the day schools re-open which is June 15," he said.
"The contract to purchase shoes was given to a contractor for Rs 70 lakh. However, another bidder went to the court against the school board. As a result, the board could not distribute shoes in time. The distribution (of shoes) has begun and it will be completed soon," said PCMC school board chairman Vijay Lokhande.
The court in December last year upheld the decision of the board to give the contract to the lowest bidder. The contractor began supplying shoes on January 15, 2013. "He has been given a period of 60 days, excluding holidays, for completing the distribution process," said Lokhande.
The school board runs 136 primary schools with a student strength of 50,000. The contractor has informed the board that the supply of shoes is in the final stage and only students of 15 schools are yet to get them.
The school board is in news for major delays in distribution of school items including text books, rainwear, sweaters and now shoes. Many a time, students get the items months after the academic year has started.
Students, mostly from slums and poor families, study in municipal schools to get free education. But they have to face several hardships due to delays in getting school items. Lokhande said that there will be no delay for the next academic year as the school board will be inviting bids for allotment of contracts by March end or in the beginning of April. "We will complete the tender process in May so that the contractors will supply all these materials in June. This will ensure that students get the education material on the day schools re-open which is June 15," he said.
