(a) whether the Government have taken any steps to improve the conditions of school and level of education in the rural areas of the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the funds allocated during each of the last three years and the current year for the educational purposes, State-wise?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI U. V. KRISHNAM RAJU)
(a)&(b) Under the erstwhile Programmes of the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) and the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY), Construction of Primary School Buildings was one of the permissible activities which could be taken up by the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as part of its approved Annual Action Plan. In addition, under the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana, additional funds used to be provided out of savings for Construction of Primary School Buildings under Operation Black Board (OBB) on the basis of the proposals received from State Governments. The Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana and the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) have since been merged with the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) w.e.f. 25th September 2001 and Construction of Primary Schools continues to be a permissible activity under the Programme.
(c) No separate earmarking of funds was made for Construction of Primary School Buildings under the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana and the Employment Assurance Scheme and now under the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yozana (SGRY).