RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, March 17: Legislators in the Jharkhand assembly today expressed their concern over the deteriorating condition of universities, colleges and schools while participating in a debate on cut motion brought by BJP legislator Anant Kumar Ojha and others on budgetary demand of the school education and literacy and technical and higher education department.
Ojha during his speech said there are not sufficient teachers in educational institutions to impart education. He said that despite having sanctioned posts there is no appointment after retirement. Due to which, he said, students are suffering.
Congress legislator Sarfaraz Ahmed did not support the cut motion but suggested the government open all those schools which were closed in the name of merger during the NDA rule in 2016-17. He also stressed upon the need of schools like Netarhat Vidyalaya for quality education.
Former education minister and BJP legislator Neera Yadav speaking in support of the motion expressed her concern over dropout rate. Congress party’s Mandar MLA Shilpi Neha Tirkey opposing the cut motion talked about closing the universities running in two rooms and suggested the government pay attention to quality education.
Congress party legislator Pradeep Yadav, opposing the cut motion, missed no opportunity to target the bureaucrats who want to run the school by issuing administrative orders from his secretariat chamber without considering the ground reality.
Hazaribagh legislator Manish Jaiswal while supporting the motion expressed his concern over the way the government ordered to reduce the grade pay of teachers and demanded to withdraw the order.
Replying on behalf of government, parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam gave positive assurance and presented the achievement of the state government in the field of education. He talked about credit card facilities for students and schemes for free coaching for aspiring bureaucrats, doctors and engineers.
During the debate, BJP’s Panki MLA Mehta Shashi Bhushan Prasad expressed his anguish with the speaker for not giving him sufficient time to speak in the house. He tore the paper in which he had noted points to speak and walked out. Though his party colleagues and speaker attempted to prevent him from doing so he did not get convinced. He was angry as his party colleague Neera used 20 minutes of the 23 minutes allotted to the BJP and he got just three minutes to speak though he had come prepared to speak. He shared his feeling in the house saying that he disliked partiality. He said despite having proper qualification and experience in the field of education, he was not given sufficient time.