“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.