ITANAGAR, Mar 8: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has appealed to the state government for one-time grant in the budget proposal for overall improvement of health and education sectors in the state.
Taking serious view of the present sorry state of affairs in both education and health sectors, the AAPSU in a representation to the chief minister, said that most of the educational and health institutes in the state are lying in shambles and complete state of neglect.
Citing its recent survey and field visit, the apex student body said that there are many places where schools are running in make-shift structures, while in some other places the institutes are on verge of collapse endangering the lives of the students and teachers.
Even in urban areas like the capital complex and district headquarters, the existing health and educational institutes are lying in pathetic conditions, the union said.
It suggested for sufficient fund for infrastructure development in both the sectors, like proper class rooms, school boundary walls, libraries, playgrounds, toilets, drinking water facilities, medical equipments, staff quarters for teachers and medical staff, fund provision for District Institute of Education & Training, solar power in health and educational institutes and budgetary allocation for public library.
Suggesting the state govt for one-time budgetary allocation for full fledged Arunachal University, Pasighat, the AAPSU said that the lone state university in the state, which has been functioning from the JNC, Pasighat campus since its inception is yet to acquire the status of a “university” in actual sense of the term.
‘Every year, a paltry sum is allocated for its upkeep which is not sufficient to sustain a state university in the long run’, the union said.
Demanding special provision for the LPC and land allotment charges, the union said that almost all education and health institutes are bereft of legalised land possession which makes it very difficult to free the land from encroachers.
‘This fund provision should also include special funds to the deputy commissioners in their respective districts for carrying out eviction drives in the schools and health centres’, it said.
Other suggestions of the AAPSU include regular allocation of funds for timely supply of textbooks, closure of all the non-functional schools and immediate sanctioning of all the upgraded schools, budgetary allocation for creation of posts of teaching and non-teaching staff in government colleges, upgraded schools and doctors and other support staffs for general hospitals and health centres, permanent moratorium on creation of new as well as upgrading existing health and educational institutes without creation of adequate posts for the same.
It also called for creation of Chief Minister’s Research Fellowship (CMRF) in line with the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) for the local research scholars, budgetary provision for starting of mass communications, computer applications, anthropology, physical education and sociology disciplines in all the government colleges; initiation of chief minister’s literary initiative and grants; separate budgetary provision for science stream at Donyi Polo Government College, Kamki, JNC Pasighat, DNGC Itanagar & IGGC, Tezu; additional allowances for the teachers and doctors serving in remote areas; re-launch of Chief Minister’s Universal Health Insurance Scheme; establishment of Government BEd College, and budget provision for establishment of schools for children with special needs.
