Jammu: The Comptroller and Auditor General
has pulled up the Jammu and Kashmir government for financial
irregularities, fund diversion and non-monitoring of Central
education programmes, saying that it has resulted in education
for all a "distant dream" in the state.
"Despite all efforts of Government of India (GoI) and
State Government, education for all still remains a distant
dream," the CAG report for the 2010-11, which was tabled in
J&K Assembly recently, said.
The CAG painted a grim picture of the Centre`s flagship
programmes Sarva Shikhsha Abhiyan and mid-day meal in the
state as the government failed to implement these schemes.
"Non-preparation of long and short term plans based on
ground realities, non-monitoring of schemes at all the levels
and inadequate internal control mechanism had hampered the
implementation of the programmes at school and zonal levels,"
the report said.
The auditor further revealed that government has
conducted a mid-term appraisal of the ongoing Sarva Shikhsha
Abhiyan and mid-day meal schemes for possible corrections.
"Cases of financial irregularities, advances paid and
await adjustment accounts, diversion of funds, abandoned
school buildings resulting in unproductive expenditure were
noticed in a large number of cases, which had dented
programmes implementation," it said.
The official auditor also found the huge unspent balances
at every level.
The report revealed that 3,256 habitations (12 per cent)
at the state-level were without any schooling facility.
Though the teacher-pupil ratio in test-checked schools
was 1:12 and within the prescribed norm of 1:40, 718 schools
out of the 7,016 institutions were run by one teacher only, it
added.
Despite an increase in the number of government schools,
the enrolment of students had decreased, it said. Private
schools are given preference by parents owing to the lack of
infrastructure in government schools.
PTI
