No headway in govt school grounds allotment

CHANDIGARH:The Finance Department has rejected the proposal submitted by a committee formed by the Director Public Instructions School to lease out various government school grounds in the city

Updated At : 08:20 AM Jul 31, 2018 IST

A view of the cricket ground at Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 26, which is now in possession of the UT Education Department, along with two other schools

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 30

The Finance Department has rejected the proposal submitted by a committee formed by the Director Public Instructions, School, to lease out various government school grounds in the city.

According to sources, the proposal to lease out the school grounds on a monthly rent of nearly Rs 2 lakh along with other rules and regulations, which include giving away grounds free of cost for departmental and inter-school championships, free coaching to poor kids, submitting the booking amount to the District Education Office (DEO) and taking prior permission for allowing any private club/team to the play there, has been rejected by the higher authorities.

Sources further said the proposal had been sent back to the Education Department for reconsideration.“I cannot comment on the issue. It’s still under consideration,” said DPI (Schools) Rubinderjit Singh Brar.

“The committee followed the existing rules on leasing out government land to make the proposal. The existing policies cannot be ignored while framing the policy,” said a source. “The proposed lease amount of Rs 2 lakh is huge and is no way beneficial for the promotion of the sport, but there was no other option.”

The source, though, pointed that it was not going to benefit the sport. “No one will spend Rs 2 lakh per month and give the ground for free for half a month. The allottee will obviously seek revenue after spending such a huge amount.”

In an order dated March 28, the administration had directed the Education Department to shut the operations of the private academies running from government schools grounds at Sector 19, Sector 26 and Sector 40. The academies were told to vacate the grounds before March 31.

“Activities of various cricket academies/associations running in government schools of Chandigarh are hereby discontinued with immediate effect,” the order mentioned.

“The heads of the concerned institutes are directed to get their schools’ playgrounds vacated by March 31, 2018,” the order added.

No specific reason was given for the move, even as the department announced to issue fresh tenders and invite bidders to run these grounds.

“The department took four months to make a proposal…now, there is further delay. It will shatter the hopes of cricketers. Also, there is uncertainty about the functioning of these academies,” said a coach.

Notably, the Education Department, as per its annual sports calendar, will host U-14 inter-school cricket championship from August 1 at some of these grounds. However, it’s still not clear who will take the responsibility to conduct the championships, the former allottees or the DEO.