The announcement was made by the Karnataka Government at around 11 am, led to confusion among students, parents and school management, since the schools in Bengaluru have already started around 8 am to 9 am.Two months of the academic year is already over, but more than 40 per cent of students in the civic body-run schools are yet to get their stationery, as BMC appointed contractors have missed the August 15 deadline. The civic body, sources said, has now started imposing penalty on the five contractors, who were to provide these items.
The civic body provides 27 schools items, including uniform, shoes, socks, bags, raincoat and umbrellas, to attract more students to its schools each year.
Admitting there was a delay, a senior official from education department said, “Till now contractors have been providing school items to about 60 per cent students. We have started penalising these contractors on weekly basis.” Students in the civic body’s schools in Kurla, Govandi, Mankhurd, Chembur, Borivali and other parts of the suburbs “have not received half of the school items”, the official said.
Education Committee chairperson Anjali Naik said, “There was some delay in appointing contractors due to the election code of conduct, following which we had given contractors August 15 deadline. The sudden flooding has affected the supply. We have asked contractors to provide the remaining items by August 30. If they fail, then I will direct the administration to blacklist them.”
