This story is from July 18, 2019

Kids still sit on floor in Delhi north corporation schools

Almost a year after moving a proposal to buy around 20,000 benches for its primary schools, North Delhi Municipal Corporation has failed to procure any and thousands of students are still forced to sit on mats on the floor.
Kids still sit on floor in Delhi north corporation schools
According to some claims, around 38,000 children in north corporation schools don’t have benches to sit on
NEW DELHI: Almost a year after moving a proposal to buy around 20,000 benches for its primary schools, North Delhi Municipal Corporation has failed to procure any and thousands of students are still forced to sit on mats on the floor.
While an official said the proposal had been submitted to the legislative wing, standing committee chairman Jai Prakash said he signed the file on Wednesday and it would now go to the mayor for the final approval.

“We were looking for the most reasonable deal as the corporation had been facing a financial crisis,” said Jai Prakash. “We approached Delhi Tourism to buy benches on our behalf. They had done the same for Delhi government and the quality of those benches were good. However, Delhi Tourism demanded 5% profit. Given our financial condition, it was difficult to agree to this term,” said Jai Prakash. “But as we can’t let the students suffer, I have signed the file.”
The corporation initially planned to buy the benches through the central government’s e-portal but it didn’t work out. Then the Tihar Jail authorities were approached. “The quality of the benches prepared by Tihar inmates matched our requirement. But they had asked for funds in advance, and the corporation has no such provision,” said the official.
The move to buy over 19,000 dual benches would have met the needs of around 38,000 children, but now the corporation needs around 1,000 more as the number of students has gone up.
Last November, the Congress councillor of Jahangirpuri, Poonam Baghdi, raised the issue in a House meeting, saying “more than 38,000 students in the north civic body schools did not have benches to sit on”.
On Monday, she alleged again that though the former municipal commissioner had promised to make alternate arrangements, nothing had happened. “Despite several assurances by the deliberative wing, the authorities have not yet bought any bench. This shows their lack of seriousness,” she said. “With no proper infrastructure, how can they expect the enrolment in MCD schools to go up?”
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