Lack of funds: Students to get only single set of uniform

Bengaluru: The state government’s idea of total farm loan waiver scheme is having an adverse affect on the popular schemes of the government.  This year, the government school students will not get the second pair of uniforms as per usual, since the union government has cut down its aid under Sarva Shiksha Abhitan (SSA), while the state government has no money left with it with the implementation of the farm loan waiver scheme.

The problem started with the central government drastically bringing down the aid under the SSA scheme from last year’s Rs 1,700 crore to a mere Rs 577 crore. Hence, the Department of Public Instruction (DIP) is facing a shortage of funds to pay for the second set of uniforms as the amount is used to pay salaries of the teachers hired under SSA scheme and to implement a number of projects including Nali-Kali, Karnataka Darshana, etc.

According to sources, the Department did seek additional funds from the state finance department, but the farm loan wavier seems to have put the department in a fix as well.

“The implementation of many important existing programmes is being adversely affected by the state government’s ill-conceived idea of implementing the farm loan waiver scheme. Close to 9 lakh students will suffer due to the government’s decision,” said an officer.