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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NOVEMBER 29: Municipal corporators have alleged that Pratham, an educational NG0 working with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is hogging a prime position over other organisations in the field. The BMC's Education Committee has convened a special meeting on December 3 specifically to discuss whether the corporation is unduly favouring the NGO, which has been working with the BMC since 1994.
In the last Education Committee on November 25, corporators alleged that BMC had been giving Pratham `special and undue' preference. According to Samajwadi corporator Haji Hyder Mohsin, who raised a point of order on the issue at the meeting, Pratham had been more or less ``hijacking'' the education field. ``The Education Committee should be telling them how to function, instead we're running on their word,'' Hyder told Express Newsline.
Corporator Waqarunnisa Ansari, another committee member, said Pratham had a complete monopoly in the field. ``They get permission easily, be it for more rooms orfor allowing balwadis, or for adopting schools. Other NGOs find it tough,'' she alleged. She further stated that her own applications for adopting two BMC schools had been pending for a long time, while Pratham's proposals were cleared in a jiffy.
Of the 1,254 primary schools run by the BMC, Pratham has 700 balsakhis helping students in as many schools, bridge classes for dropouts in 300-odd schools and 12 computer centres. As of September 1998, Pratham was supporting 2,700 balwadis covering 50,000 children.
Hyder had demanded that a sub-committee be formed to look into the allegations of preferential treatment for Pratham. For instance, a circular was sent directing administrative officers of various wards to give Pratham records of the monthly report of municipal schools. ``Those are BMC records, why should Pratham be told about that?'' Hyder said.
Moreover, when a Human Resources ministry team visited Mumbai in September-end, Pratham officials showed them around municipal schools and ``tried toprove that they are running the schools,'' Hyder alleged. Also, Pratham had been assured a donation of Rs 5 crore from the ministry, he added.
Despite all the work, several municipal schools were in a bad condition, Hyder said, adding: ``We don't know how much money is being spent on us.'' As an illustration, he stated that Pratham had installed telephones in municipal schools two-three months back; however, as the phone bills were not paid, all the lines were cut. ``What is the use of this polishing? They are just deceiving us,'' Hyder added.
According to Waqarunnisa, complaints about Pratham had been raised earlier as well. When Sadhana Mane was the education committee chairperson, a complaint had been made about Pratham paying secondary school principals a sum of Rs 3,000. ``We had asked why Pratham should pay our employees,'' Waqarunnisa said, adding that the matter had been settled then.
BMC's education committee chairperson, Jaya Goythale, said the December 3 meeting would tell the corporators allthey wanted to know. ``People don't know much about Pratham, we will tell them whatever they want to know,'' she said.
Dr Rukmini Banerji, member of the executive group which runs Pratham, added that the BMC would be the appropriate body to answer questions of preferential treatment and other allegations. ``The BMC has been cooperating with us, they're cooperating with others as well,'' Dr Banerji said. About the allegations about telephone lines, she stated that these had been installed to cut down on the clerical job of teachers as they could pass on information immediately.
About the assurance on the central government grant, Dr Banerji said it had been given to fund the bridge courses and balsakhis. ``In fact, they were impressed with our city schools, and looking at these, felt that there's hope for government schools in the country,'' she said.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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