With just two months left for the academic year to draw to a close, students of the institutions run by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike are yet to receive uniforms.
The 153 BBMP-run institutions have a student strength of 15,226. The civic body was supposed to deliver two sets of regular uniforms, and one set of white uniforms at the beginning of the academic year.
Savitha Mayannagowda, Srinagar councillor and member of the BBMP’s Standing Committee for Education and Sports, raised the issue at the civic body’s monthly meeting.
“It is shameful that the BBMP has not able to provide three sets of uniforms to the students. The academic year began in June and the BBMP is yet to supply the uniforms. There is no paucity of funds. Yet, this is a recurring problem every year,” she said.
BBMP’s Education Officer Shivanna attributed the delay to the lack of response to the tender floated in June 2017. There were two bidders for the second tender. “The first bidder backed out claiming they could not supply the uniforms at the quoted rate. The second bidder asked for the rates to be increased. We stuck to the original rate.”
After a lot of dilly-dallying, the second bidder agreed; and the work order was issued in the end of November 2017. “Students of a few institutions have received the uniforms. The others may receive it shortly,” Mr. Shivanna said.
He added that the students do have one set of uniforms supplied by the government earlier this academic year. “The BBMP decided to supply uniforms as the students would not have been able to manage with just one pair for an entire year.”
To ensure that this delay does not recur next year, the education committee has decided to start the tender process in January and issue the work order in April so that uniforms could be supplied in June soon after schools and colleges reopen. The decision will have to be approved by the BBMP council.
