One primary school at every one km in Bihar: minister

Patna: The Bihar government has been successful in setting up a primary school at every one km while middle and secondary school are at every three and five km respectively, the in-charge minister (education) said.

The statement was made by Shravan Kumar in the Bihar Assembly yesterday.

The state government is gradually moving towards its goal of setting up a high school at every panchayat, Kumar said adding that out of 8391 panchayats of the state, there were middle schools in 5059 panchayats and high schools in 2200 panchayats.

The minister was replying to a debate on his department’s budgetary allocation of Rs 32,125.63 crore for 2018-19 which was later passed by a voice vote. after the opposition members staged walk out from the House expressing dissatisfaction on government’s reply.

The government has also relaxed the criterion for availability of land for setting up a high school, he said adding that the land requirement for setting up a high school was reduced to 0.75 acre from one acre.

On regular payment of salary for university teachers, the minister said that the required amount had been released for payment of salary to university teachers and assured the members that arrangement was being made to ensure timely payment of salary to the teachers in future.

With a view to increase gross enrolment ratio in higher education in the state, the government has decided to provide hassle-free education loan to students to pursue higher education through Bihar Student Credit Card, he said.

The government has set up the Bihar State Education Finance Corporation Ltd for the purpose especially to avoid bank’s negative approach in giving loans to students, the minister said.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, corrected Shravan Kumar while he inadvertently pronounced ‘Rashtrapita Mahatma Gandhi’ as ‘Rashtrapati Mahatma Gandhi’.

The moment the minister pronounced the word ‘Rashtrapati Mahatma Gandhi’, the chief minister was quick to correct by reminding his minister that it is ‘Rashtrapita’.

The opposition walked out of the Assembly expressing dissatisfaction over the minister’s reply and also for absence of the education minister in the House.

Senior RJD leader and former finance minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui said that there was no point in participating in the debate of the education department as the minister (education minister Krishna Prasad Verma) was not present in the House.