Mira-Bhayandar civic schools still without water bottles four months into term

Four months into the new academic year, children at Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation schools still have not received water bottles. Children who do not have their own bottle must ask the teacher for permission to step out of class and drink water when thirsty. What makes this more striking is that a contract for supplying steel bottles was awarded to a private company as far back as April, with the rate for each bottle fixed at about Rs 210. Despite this, the actual supply has stalled, raising questions about the civic administration's planning.

The Mira-Bhayandar civic body runs 36 schools across Hindi, Urdu, Marathi and Gujarati mediums, with more than 8,000 children enrolled. Most of these children come from economically weaker and needy families, so the civic body provides them uniforms, shoes, books, notebooks and other study material free of cost every year. This material is supposed to reach children at the start of the year, or at least within the first week, but parents have complained of delays for the past few years.

This year too, the distribution of uniforms, books, notebooks and other material was already delayed, and now the water bottle issue has added to it. Some children are bringing water from home in old plastic bottles or cold drink bottles. Those without a bottle have to step out even during class to drink water. Children say there is a large crowd at the water point, especially after the mid-day meal.

The entire contracting process for the steel bottles was completed back in April, with the rate for one bottle fixed at about Rs 210. There were instructions to make the material available before school reopened, yet September has arrived and the bottles have still not been distributed. Parents are asking where exactly the delay occurred between the awarding of the contract and the actual supply and distribution.

Along with study material, the civic body also gives children shoes. Earlier, boys and girls received different designs of shoes suited to their needs, but this time it is alleged that boys' shoes were given to girls as well. This has raised questions about whether the material is being distributed without regard for children's needs and use. There is also talk that the same company has been getting the contract to supply study material for several years running. This is why parents are demanding a thorough investigation by the civic body into the contracting process, the quality of the material, the timing of supply and the distribution itself.

Given the delays in distribution every year, the civic body had at one point decided to deposit money directly into children's bank accounts instead of distributing material. However, after the BJP came to power, this decision was scrapped and it was decided that study material would once again be distributed through the civic body itself. Now that distribution is delayed again, questions are being raised about how this decision has been implemented.

Municipal Commissioner Radhabinod Sharma had ordered that uniforms and other study material be made available before school reopened. However, parents allege that the actual delay in distribution exposes a lack of planning in the administration. Parents say it is a serious matter that children have had to wait four months for something as basic to their daily needs as a water bottle. Parents are asking where the bottle supply got stuck, whether the contractor delivered the material on time, who is responsible for the delay, and whether the civic administration will take action against the contractor concerned. An attempt was made to contact the civic body's Deputy Commissioner, Kavita Borkar, on the matter, but there was no response from her side.