Nagpur ZP schools get Rs 1.29 crore for shoes and socks for 76,022 pupils before Diwali

Children studying in Nagpur Zilla Parishad schools are set to have a special Diwali this year, with new shoes and socks. A total of 76,022 students from Class 1 to Class 8 are to receive them. The government has sanctioned Rs 1,29,23,740 for the purpose.

The money has been deposited in the accounts of the schools concerned through the Samagra Shiksha department. The way is now clear to get the items to the children before Diwali. The government has allocated the budget according to the fixed number of students, that is, money has been given for as many children as there are.

The route by which the money would reach the schools had also been fixed. Under the scheme, the funds were first transferred at the tehsil level. Two days ago, the amount was then credited directly to the accounts of the schools concerned. Since receiving the funds, school management committees have stepped up preparations to buy the shoes and socks.

The responsibility now rests with the school management committees to buy shoes and socks for the children within the fixed budget and ensure they are distributed on time. Preparations are under way to hand over the items before Diwali so that the children can make use of them during the festival.

The biggest difficulty is the budget. An amount of Rs 170 has been fixed for each student, and buying durable, good-quality shoes and socks for that sum remains a challenge. Procuring items that will be useful to the children with limited money is a big question before the committees.

All eyes will now be on the purchase process and timely distribution. If the items are received within the stipulated time, thousands of students in the district could benefit from this government scheme before Diwali.