Arjun’s new test: Crack the whip on Bengal

It promises to be a tough balancing act for HRD Minister Arjun Singh in Kolkata next week. With the UPA scrambling to placate the Left on di...

It promises to be a tough balancing act for HRD Minister Arjun Singh in Kolkata next week. With the UPA scrambling to placate the Left on disinvestment and fuel prices, the Congress veteran may have to haul up the Left Front’s West Bengal government for taking over three years to fill less than 25 per cent of sanctioned school teachers’ posts.

More so, when his Ministry is applauding Bihar Governor Buta Singh’s recruitment drive that filled nearly 50,000 teachers’ vacancies in less than three months.

In West Bengal, the Centre had sanctioned 73,536 teachers’ posts between 2002 and 2005 under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan. But figures available till March 31, 2005, suggest that the state has been able to recruit only 17,018 teachers.

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On his two-day visit starting Sunday, Singh is expected to point this out among other deficiencies in the West Bengal system, including lack of coordination between the Education Department and Panchayati Raj bodies, which run the schools.

Besides, the state government has reported serious underutilisation of funds in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan—of Rs 877 crore released last fiscal, only Rs 509 crore were spent, a poor 58 per cent.

Among other issues that Singh is expected to take up with the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government is the state’s ‘‘lack of initiative’’ to upgrade its ‘‘cheaper alternative schools’’ to regular school status. The Centre is waiting with funds, say officials, but the state has not even communicated the amount it requires.

At the other end is Bihar, say officials, from where a phenomenal change has been reported since February—a court case that had stalled recruitment for almost two years was cleared in late January. Earlier this week, the Bihar education officials were here to plead for more funds because they have already recruited 50,000 teachers.