This year, students to get BMC aid on time

This year, BMC students will get 27 educational items including uniform, books, bag and raincoat provided by the civic body as soon as their school re-opens, in contrast to the usual allegations of delay in distribution that have always dogged the scheme.

Additional municipal commissioner Pallavi Darade has assured that these items have already reached various schools and will be distributed to students right from the start of their academic year.

In a bid to provide aid to poor and needy children, the BMC distributes 27 educational accessories of various types, which include uniform, books, bag, raincoat, shoes, tiffin box, stationery etc., free of cost. However, the scheme has always been mired in controversy due to allegations of delay in distribution and poor quality material.

Ms Darade said, “There were complaints that these items are not received on time. Hence, we worked on this issue from the month of November and got the purchase order in January itself. The items have been delivered and stocked in our godowns in April. We can deliver them in June to school children.”

Ms Darade said that the construction of municipal schools is also in full swing. “We have ensured that the budget of SIC (School Infrastructure Cell) is spent on time. This year construction of 12 schools has started and repairs in 22 schools is also going on,” she added.

Meanwhile, continuing its action on unauthorised banners, boards and encroachments, the BMC has made 24 streets in the city hawker-free. The fine collected from the hawkers this year is Rs 2.88 crore, which is about 200 times higher than the last year, Ms Darade said.

Talking about the processing of waste, she said that the 1,000 metric tonne capacity compost plant at the Kanjurmarg dumping ground will start by January next year. “Among other initiatives in processing of waste, we have made it compulsory for all the NGOs working in slums for cleanliness to have a composting pit. The BMC has also started the first-ever e-waste (electronic) collection centre in the country,” she added.

Meanwhile, the BMC has managed to train the highest number of beneficiaries in the state in the Employment Skill Training and Placement under National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) Programme.

For the year 2015-16, the target of training was 60,000 for the state. The BMC was able to train 30,000 beneficiaries, but as there were fewer beneficiaries provided by other cities, the civic body made extra effort and trained total of 46,728 trainees for NULM, said Ms Darade.