MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SHASHI THAROOR)
(a) to (c): The PAISA Survey, conducted by Accountability Initiative, specifically studies annual school grants under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), namely(i) School Maintenance Grant, (ii) School Grant and(iii) Teacher Grant, which are released to School Management Committees, which as per PAISA’s own findings accounts for 2% of the total allocation under the SSA. The PAISA findings indicate that there has been a significant improvement in the percentage of schools receiving grants in 2011-12. 74% schools received all three grants in 2011-12. On an average over 90% schools that received the money, report spending their money on whitewashing/ plastering (67%), repair of toilets (36%), repair of drinking water facilities (44%), funding school events (70%), purchase of chalk, duster, register (90%), etc.
(d) & (e): To ensure that all schools receive annual school grants under the SSA, the Government of India has advised all the States / UTs to release these grants at the beginning of the academic session and has also emphasized that the States electronically transfer these funds to the school management committee accounts.
