Patna: The Bihar Education Department is preparing to form a special Group of Ministers and senior secretaries to accelerate the implementation of its schemes and resolve issues requiring coordination with other government departments.
A high-level exercise is already underway to work out the proposed mechanism. The initiative is aimed at reducing delays in education projects caused by issues related to finance, construction, land and other inter-departmental matters.
Finance, Buildings And Land Among Key Issues
The Education Department regularly deals with matters involving the Finance Department, Building Construction Department and Revenue and Land Reforms Department.
These include arranging funds for various schemes, constructing school buildings and providing land to schools that do not have their own premises.
The proposed group would provide a common platform for education officials to raise such issues directly with the concerned ministers and senior officials.
This is expected to help speed up decision-making and move several pending education projects forward.
School Land Encroachment A Major Challenge
The issue of encroachment on school land has also emerged as an important concern.
During a recent two-day meeting of Education Department officials, cases involving encroachment on school properties were discussed. At the same time, the process of providing land to landless schools is being pursued through the Revenue and Land Reforms Department.
School construction is another major priority where coordination between multiple departments is required.
The proposed Group of Ministers and secretaries could help address such issues at a higher level and reduce delays arising from administrative coordination.
Bihar Already Has A Crisis Management Model
Bihar already has a Crisis Management Group for coordinating the government’s response to disasters.
The group includes ministers from different departments, the Chief Secretary and senior officials at the Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary levels.
The Education Department is now considering a similar coordination mechanism for important issues affecting its schemes.
A minister- and secretary-level group could strengthen direct communication between departments and allow pending matters to be taken up for quicker decisions.
Central Schemes Also Need Coordination
The Education Department is responsible for implementing several central government schemes, some of which require support from other state departments.
Delays in obtaining approvals, funds, land or other forms of assistance can affect the implementation of such programmes.
The proposed secretary-level group could provide a platform to discuss these issues jointly and identify solutions without prolonged inter-departmental correspondence.
Solar Panels On School Buildings
The department is also planning to install solar panels on school rooftops, which will require coordination with the Energy Department.
The proposed Group of Ministers and senior secretaries could therefore play a role in facilitating cooperation on such initiatives.
The arrangement is expected to cover a range of issues where the Education Department depends on other government agencies to complete projects.
Focus On Faster Implementation
The proposed mechanism is aimed at ensuring that education schemes do not remain delayed because of issues falling under other departments.
By bringing ministers and senior officials together, the government hopes to improve coordination, speed up decision-making and strengthen the implementation of education programmes across Bihar.
If finalised, the Group of Ministers and secretary-level mechanism could become an important tool for addressing funding, land, school infrastructure and other administrative bottlenecks affecting the Education Department.
