SSK and MSK centres to come under new roofs

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 18: There are 61,212 students and 1,744 Sahayaks and Sahayikas (teachers) in 697 Shishu Shiksha Kendras (SSK) in Cooch Behar district. But, many of the SSKs are yet to get their own buildings. 566 buildings were constructed and 545 kitchens were provided in those SSKs till now. Sanitary toilet facility was extended to 543 SSKs and 590 centres got drinking water facility.

 

There are 82 buildings out of 116 Madhyamik Shiksha Kendras (MSK) in this district. The number of students is 21,386 and the number of Samprosaraks (teachers) is 619. As the midday meal scheme is yet to be launched in the MSKs there are no kitchens in the centres. Presently, a proposal is under consideration to introduce the midday meal scheme in the MSKs from this year.

 

District co-ordinator of SSK-MSK cell in Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad, Mr Amal Kumar Sengupta said there is a plan for establishing own buildings of all the SSKs and MSKs during the current year. The Gram Panchayats are to be entrusted to construct the buildings of the SSKs and the Panchayat Samities are to construct the MSK centres. Availability of fund for the purpose is not a problem because it will be provided from different development schemes.

 

As there is a shortage of own sheds in many SSK and MSK centres the classes are being held at rooms of local clubs and houses of residents. There are complaints from different quarters that the classes are being held under trees due to lack of adequate rooms at the centres in the villages. Denying the allegation Mr Sengupta said that they received no such report from anywhere. Instead, he claimed, the new centres are running under roofs, not under trees.

 

The district co-ordinator of Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), Mr Amalendu Naha said they would bring the SSKs and MSKs under TSC scheme and organise awareness drive among the students in the centres on the importance of sanitation.

 

Replying a question Mr Sengupta admitted that there was a problem in disbursing of honorariums to the teachers regularly. As the honorariums are disbursed from a certain bank the teachers in some areas have to suffer in areas where the bank has no branches, he said. The authorities are trying to iron out the problem, he assured. []