Berhampur, Usually the uniforms to the students from 1 to 10th,should be distributed after reopening of schools by May each year.But this year,even after seven months over one lakh students in Ganjam district not yet received the uniforms.Now while couple of months left for the completion of the education year and the students of 10th standard will not attend their classes inorder to prepare for the board examination.In such a situation inordinate delay in distributing the informs,has made the students and their parents apprehensive,when the uniforms will be given.Sources said while over 60 thousand high school students in Ganjam not received their uniforms,besides another 1,16,845 students of primery and upper primery schools in the district too not received their uniforms.However,the district education officer Amita patanaik claimed all the students of primery and upper primery schools,except Purusotompur block has already been given the uniforms.Similarly out of 80 thousand students of 9th and 10th in the district 20 thousand students received their uniforms.But avoided the reasons of non-distribution of the uniforms to rest students.As per records of DEO office,of the 3,26,845 students of 2697 primery,upper primery and aided schools in the district 2.10 lakkh students has supplied uniforms through their respective blocks.But the ground reality is different,as many schools has not received the uniforms from their blocks.Even,some of the schools who have received the uniforms not able to distribute the received uniforms,as most of them are dairty and not fits the students.Though not in open,but several teachers and even school managing committee office bearers admitted that lack of co-ordination between different offices and verification of supplied uniforms,such situation arised.The head master of a UP school un condition of anonimity said`we have 150 students and a supplier based at Berhampur dumped the uniforms around 3 months back.Despite the uniforms in dirty state we convinced most of our students to receive their uniforms,still a good number of uniforms still remained,as their size not fits`.Now we have been asked by higherups to furnish in written that we received and distributed 100% of the uniforms.Sources said that this year,insted of taking the number of students to account,the calculation of students number was made on database of previous years.Accordingly,Odisha State Education Programme Authority(OSEPA)released funds and finished its duty.But as the number of students of current year is more in many schools,the concerned school authorities are in a fix,how to manage the affair of providing uniforms to all their students.Earlier,the cost of the uniforms,Rs 600/-per student for two pairs of uniform,one pair shoe and two pairs socks,was deposited in the joint account of respective school head master and managing committee authirised signatory.Accordingly,they purchased better quality cloths and called tailors to take the measurement of each students before stitch them and distributed to their students.Now,the uniforms of cheap quality cloths are not accepted,but no one dared to complain,fearing action.The irony is that to maintain claimed transparency,the SHGs has been entrusted the affair of uniform supply.Though the method adopted for smoothening the distribution as well to pave way for income of the SHGs by stitching the uniforms.But in most cases the SHGs allegedly purchased uniforms from market.While the uniform distribution riddled in several problems and is in a mess,the district edeucation dept claimed that the errors in the database has been rectified and sent to OSEPA for necessary action.The office also hoped the process of uniform supply would be completed by end of the current month.
