Delay in barrier-free school project puts State in a spot

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has acknowledged that it is facing an embarrassing situation due to delay in making its primary and upper primary schools 100 per cent barrier-free for the differently-abled.

Officials of Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA) said despite repeated communications, the District Project Coordinators (DPCs) have failed to furnish details regarding the number schools lacking accessibility for differently-abled and funds required to make those  barrier-free.

They said the State Government had asked the district collectors to set aside funds for construction of ramps, handrails and other facilities required to make schools barrier free for all. The DPCs were also instructed to conduct social audit of accessibility in all government schools by technical personnel. But, delay on part of DPCs to complete the task and furnish reports is acting as an hindrance in implementation of the project at a time when the Centre is pressing hard to achieve the target by March 2020.

A letter by Project Director, OPEPA, Bhupendra Singh Poonia to the DPCs clearly states the situation. Poonia wrote, “Two months time was given to you (DPCs) in this regard. Though this period is already over, not a single reply has been received from your end till date. This has put our Department (School and Mass Education) in an embarrassing situation since the Centre is pressing hard for achieving 100 per cent barrier-free access in all government elementary schools by 2020.”

Poonia has instructed DPCs to expedite audit work and furnish details at the earliest to ensure all elementary schools in the State are 100 per cent accessible for differently-abled persons.