RJD MLAs stage demonstration to press regularisation of teachers' services

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs stage demonstaration outside Bihar Vidhan Sabha in Patna on July 2, 2009 demanding regularisation of services of the teachers appointed by the government in past three years.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Decrease in school dropouts

Bihar Human Resources Development minister Hari Narain Singh informed the state Assembly that the efforts of Bihar government under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) had yielded positive results with38.25 lakh children in 6 to14 years of age group were brought back to schools.

Replying to budgetary demands of his department he said the number of dropouts among school children was 45.75 lakh in 2001 and it came down to 7.5 lakh during the current year.

The minister said the government had resolved to cover all the 7.5 lakh school children in the state and provide them quality primary education during 2009-10 as "it's their fundamental right".

He said the erstwhile RJD regime had spent Rs 1081.51 crore between 2001-02 and 2005, while the NDA government spent Rs 1539.59 crore in just one year (2006-07) under the flagship programme. The expenditure rose to 2176.41 crore during 2008-09.

Impressed by the state government's performance on this front, the Centre had increased the allotment manifold and has sanctioned over Rs 4,300 crore to Bihar for the year 2009-10 under the SSA, he added.