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State failed to utilized earmarked funds under IEDSS scheme

Subodh Bhasin. Dated: 12/12/2018 11:16:58 AM

Subodh Bhasin
Jammu, Dec 11
Despite the fact that the Union government under its under the Centre’s flagship scheme Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) has released adequate funds for differently abled children/children with special needs, the state government failed to unilized the ear marked funds.
It is worthwhile to mention here that IEDSS scheme aims to enabled all students with disabilities, to pursue further four years of secondary schooling after completing eight years of elementary schooling in an inclusive and enabling environment and covers all children studying at the secondary stage in Government, local body and Government-aided schools, with one or more disabilities as defined under available laws.
The IEDSS along with other central schemes being implemented by the department of school education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), were subsumed in 2013-14 with the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan. The successive governments have failed to pay heed towards the issue of differently abled, as such have not utilized the available funds earmarked. Talking to Young Bites correspondent Ex-Dy A.G. Dinesh Singh Jamwal said, recently regarding the facilities being given to specially abled children Division Bench of State High court has taken serious note and said the position is a callous disregard to the plight of the children who are visually impaired and directed the Commissioner Secretary to Government Social Welfare Department to place before the court an action plan for disability census within four weeks or appear in person on the next day of hearing. It is pertinent to mention here that Rs 81.21 lakh was sanctioned by the HRD Ministry in 2015-16 for more than 2000 differently abled students and from the funds available at the disposal only Rs 49.6 lakh was utilized by state government.
The earmarked funds were to be utilized for identification and assessment of students, provision of aids and appliances, learning materials, stipend for girl students with disabilities, development of teaching and learning materials etc. Not only this, the shortage of special teachers also remain a stumbling block for the unsuccessful implementation of the IEDSS scheme.
Talking to Young Bites correspondent Advocate Mulkh Raj Khajuria said that recently the Governor of J&K taken a significant initiative for the empowerment of the state’s specially-abled students by announcing the institution of ‘JK Govt Scholarship Scheme for Differently Abled Students’.
Appreciating the initiative he added that under the scheme scholarship of Rs1 lakh each will be awarded every year to a meritorious specially-abled boy and girl student on ‘International Day for Disabled Persons’ being observed annually on December 3 which is indeed a welcome step.