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Sarpanch, gram panchayats should take responsibility for improving schools in villages: Ajit Pawar

Sarpanch, gram panchayats should take responsibility for improving schools in villages: Ajit Pawar

Indian Express14-06-2025
Deputy Chief Minister and Guardian Minister of Pune district Ajit Pawar urged gram panchayats and sarpanches to take responsibility for improving schools in their villages.
Speaking at the inauguration of Pune Model School and a model primary health centre in Pune on Saturday, Pawar said, 'In the district, every gram panchayat and sarpanch should take responsibility for schools in their villages. They should overview the works required to be undertaken in schools and take up the issue in tha gram sabha.'
'…At the end of the day, this is not the responsibility of just the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or the education department. It is the responsibility of all of us. We should pay attention to this as a social commitment. The involvement of both the public and the government is necessary to bring about a change in the education system,' said Pawar.
Explaining why public involvement was necessary in education, the NCP chief said, 'I ask many people who are doing good work who tell me that during the time of R R Patil, the state government, with the support of people, implemented the Sant Gadgebaba Gram Swachhta Abhiyan. The Union government took note of this and launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. There should be a movement raised by people. The same should happen in our education system
as well.'
The Deputy CM also urged teachers to take responsibility and bring about a change in the schools where they are teaching. 'Since we have some expectations from you teachers, you should take responsibility and bring about a positive change in the schools,' said Pawar even as he presented the Excellent Teacher Award. The ceremony was organized by the Pune Zilla Parishad at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. An 'excellent new building' for the school education department in Pune would be inaugurated soon, announced Pawar.
At the event, Pune Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Gajanan Patil announced that out of 3,546 schools in 13 talukas of Pune district, the Zilla Parishad is trying to build 303 model schools and 108 model primary health centres. The Pune Nipun app and dashboard created by Pune Zilla Parishad were also launched at the event.
Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council Dr. Neelam Gorhe, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Anna Bansode, state school education and sports minister Dada Bhuse, MLAs Sunil Shelke, Bapusaheb Pathare, Dnyaneshwar Katke, Shankar Mande, Baba Kale, Divisional Commissioner Dr. Chandrakant Pulkundwar, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, and Additional Chief Executive Officer Chandrakant Waghmare were also present at the event.
Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune.
A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
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