J&K Samagra Shiksha releases Rs 44.73 lakh as Stipend to KGBV Girl students through DBT

Jammu: An amount of Rs. 44.73 Lakh has today been released as Stipend in favour of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) Girl students, enrolled for the year 2019-2020, by the Directorate of Samagra Shiksha, J&K through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. The stipend amounting to Rs. 1200 per girl per annum was disbursed directly to the bank accounts of 3728 beneficiaries. The said activity is the part of existing Gender & Equity (KGBV) intervention of Samagra Shiksha.
KGBV is an central sponsored scheme and an Intervention of Samagra Shiksha for the girls belonging to the Scheduled caste (SC) Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). It was launched in July 2004 for setting up residential schools in Educationally Backward Blocks for girls from class 6th to 8th.
Samagra Shiksha facilitate KGBVs and provides funds approved by HMRD, GoI for various activities, which includes food/lodging, maintenance, water electricity, medical care and other needs of the girls enrolled in such schools throughout the Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory.
According to State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha Dr. Arun Manhas, under Gender & Equity (KGBV) intervention, the Directorate has disbursed a total amount of Rs. 44,73,600 for the year 2019-20 through DBT therein benefitting 3728 Girl Children studying in KGBVs. “Annually MHRD, GoI releases funds on account of various allowances such as Stipend for girl children studying in KGBV Schools. Earlier, such allowances used to be disbursed through multi tier system due to which beneficiaries had to face certain difficulties in obtaining the real benefits,” he informed adding that from the current financial year, Samagra Shiksha has taken an initiative wherein such allowances shall be disbursed directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. Dr. Manhas also mentioned that stipend is a token for encouragement of the girl students studying in KGBV School established in Educationally Backward Blocks to benefit poor and down trodden girls.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Secretary School Education, Hirdesh Kumar has lauded the efforts being put in by Samagra Shiksha towards upliftment and welfare of girl children in J&K, particularly studying in KGBV Institutions. He stressed on to incentivize the girl Education especially of weaker sections, residing in backward and far flung areas so that the gender gap in literacy can be bridged. He stressed upon exploring such initiatives wherein all kinds of benefits and incentives can directly be transferred to eligible beneficiaries. He also advised to make all kinds of transactions and disbursements through PFMS and update the same on PMS (Project Monitoring System) portal of MHRD on regular basis.
Commissioner/Secretary School Education also congratulated State Project Director Dr. Arun Manhas and whole team of Gender & Equity (KGBV), especially State Coordinator Joginder Kumar, Assistant State Coordinator Mudhasser Ahmed Wani, Technical team member Urshad Qadri and other support staff, who worked hard for compiling the data of DBT stipend to KGBV Girl Students. He further asked the Directorate to ascertain that all the beneficiaries have received stipend in their accounts. He urged the officers to compile the left out cases and identify the fresh students to whom benefits under the scheme Samagra Shiksha needs to be disbursed.