Punjab Education Minister proposes solar panels in Government Schools
KS Diwan/ royalpatiala.in/ Chandigarh
The Punjab Education Minister, Vijay Inder Singla flagged important issues pertaining to the State School Education for the consent of the Project Approval Board (PAB), in a meeting with the Union Human Resource Minister, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi.
Batting for installation of solar panels in Government Senior Secondary Schools, Singla said that electricity is big concern for the State, so PAB may consider the proposal of installation of solar panels in 1015 government senior secondary schools at the rate of Rs. 3.5 lacs per school amounting to a onetime expense of Rs.35.5 crore. The Minister also proposed incinerators for 3472 schools as State is providing free sanitary napkins to all girl students from class VI to XII studying in government schools.
Laying thrust on introduction of Digital initiative in government schools, Punjab Education Minister sought approval for an amount of Rs. 1.50 lac per school for 3500 primary schools and an amount of Rs 3.50 lacs per school 1607 senior secondary schools in the State.
Singla gave consent in principle that the State would curtail some budget from other activities and invest the resultant savings in digital education and solar panel system in schools.
To bring uniformity among all students, the State had proposed school bags for students of class I and class II and it was agreed upon by the PAB. Singla sought budget for the same and also flagged the need for hike in the honorarium of pre-primary teachers as 6000 per month instead of 5000 per month. He also appraised the need to make up for the deficiency in the salary of resource coordinators providing academic support at Block/cluster level. Secretary School education Krishan Kumar was also present on this occasion.
