Poor utilization of funds: HC summons principal secretary, director education of Haryana - Hindustan Times
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Poor utilization of funds: HC summons principal secretary, director education of Haryana

By, Chandigarh
Mar 24, 2023 01:16 AM IST

The Punjab and Haryana high court has summoned the principal secretary and director higher education, Haryana, over the poor utilization of funds meant for schools in the state.

The Punjab and Haryana high court has summoned the principal secretary and director higher education, Haryana, over the poor utilization of funds meant for schools in the state.

The Punjab and Haryana high court has summoned the principal secretary and director higher education, Haryana, over the poor utilization of funds meant for schools in the state.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has summoned the principal secretary and director higher education, Haryana, over the poor utilization of funds meant for schools in the state.

“The above figures (quoted in the order) are reflective of gross inertia plaguing the department, which chose to permit lapse of grant/budget instead of utilizing the same, especially when demands have been approved and budget allocation made. This would invariably call for some disciplinary proceedings against officials displaying complete lack of vision, leadership, initiative and ability to take decisions and compounding bureaucratic red-tapism with arrogance fuelled incompetence,” the bench of justice Vinod S Bhardwaj observed seeking fresh affidavit from the government within four weeks.

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The department has been told to give the details of year-wise allocation/receipt of a grant from the state/Centre towards infrastructural requirements; scholarship; salary; fixtures and furniture; books; energy, motor vehicles, medical etc by all three branches of the department secondary education; higher education and primary education and its utilization in the respective category.

It also asked for details of total demands for respective heads above made by schools, demands under respective heads approved; budgetary and financial approvals granted, along with the date of such administrative approval be supplied. The status of execution of such works/utilization of such approved budgetary heads be also submitted, the court directed while posting the matter for April 19.

The court was hearing a plea in which students from the Government Senior Secondary School, Balu, in Kaithal, had told the court that there were a total of 14 rooms in the school complex that had already been declared unsafe and hazardous for occupation. After the plea was filed, the rooms were demolished but now the school is left with only 5 rooms constructed in 2017. Now, due to the shortage of rooms, the classes are being run in shifts, and the availability of the basic facilities in the school has further deteriorated.

As per the affidavit submitted in court, a grant of 1,176.38 crore issued by the Centre and a budget allocation of 13,420.97 crore has not been utilized by the department since the financial year 2012-2013.

The court observed that the details furnished showed a shocking revelation about the state of affairs. “The department has not been able to utilise the grants received or the budget allocated over a period of the last 10 years in any given year. The state of affairs reflects gross incompetence, poor financial management and resource allocation by the officers in-charge to ensure that the basic amenities and facilities are made available to students at the school level,” the bench observed adding that evidently, the directorate has been keeping its eyes shut to the requirements of the schools and to the needs of school children who are the future assets of the nation.

“No valid explanation for such dismal state of affairs and poor performance on the part of the senior functionaries has been given. It is invariably a case of gross incompetence/underperformance and failure of the authorities to discharge their duties,” it added stating that this situation has necessitated the court to seek the presence for hearing of the director higher education/school education as well as principal secretary of Haryana.

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