Punjab Government has proposed to install solar panels in as many 1,015 government senior secondary schools in the State.
The proposal was put forward by the state Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla who met the Union Human Resource Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal to flag important issues pertaining to the State School Education for the consent of the Project Approval Board (PAB). Batting for installation of solar panels in government senior secondary schools, Singla said that electricity is big concern for the State, so PAB may consider the proposal of installation of solar panels in 1015 government senior secondary schools at the rate of Rs 3.5 lakhs per school amounting to a onetime expense of Rs 35.5 crore.
Laying thrust on introduction of digital initiative in government schools, Singla sought approval for sanction of Rs 1.50 lakh per school for 3,500 primary schools and an amount of Rs 3.50 lakhs per school for 1,607 senior secondary schools in the State.
The Minister also proposed incinerators for 3,472 schools as State is providing free sanitary napkins to all girl students from Class VI to XII studying in government schools.
To bring uniformity among all students, the State had proposed school bags for students of Class I and II, and it was agreed upon by the PAB.
Singla sought budget for the same and also flagged the need for hike in the honorarium of pre-primary teachers as Rs 6,000 per month instead of Rs 5,000 per month. He also appraised the need to make up for the deficiency in the salary of resource coordinators providing academic support at block or cluster level.