Pvt funds salvage BMC8217;s basic education plan

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC had kicked off two projects in the 8217;90s. One aimed at sharpening the quality of education in existing schools. The other was more basic 8211; it aimed at increasing the number of schools in the city.

While the School Adoption Programme8217;, started in the early 8217;90s, is well underway, the corporation8217;s Transfer of Development Rights8217; TDR scheme went into a deep slumber coinciding with the real estate slump four years ago. Now, the proposed repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling Regulation Act, the BMC hopes, will resuscitate its TDR project, which almostescaped the interest of private landowners.

Additional Municipal Commissioner in charge of education, Ratnakar Gaikwad, is however, cautious, saying only: 8220;It all depends on the market response. At this moment, it is not possible to foresee how much the scheme will be affected by it.8221; Under the TDR scheme, implemented in 1994, schools were sought to be built on private property whose development was restricted under the Development Control regulations, 1991. The BMC had asked landowners to construct schools on their property offering Transfer of Development Rights extra floor space index somewhere north of the project but equal to the school8217;s area in return. However, there were few takers. While Gaikwad attributes this to the real estate crash, a developer who opted for the scheme says it is just not profitable enough.

Builder Nayan A Shah, who claims he is the first to participate in the project, handed over a school total area: 18,000 sq ft complete with a playground of about 30,000 sq ft inMulund to the BMC last year. But, he says: 8220;The scheme will backfire if some changes are not made.8221;

Real estate prices are much higher today than they were in 1991. Therefore, the value of the extra FSI allocated under the TDR is far less than the cost of constructing a school. The parity in prices is no longer there. Unless the FSI given to the owner is at least double the school8217;s area, it is a loss-making venture.8221;

Roping in the private sector became necessary with the consistent decline in availability of resources for both construction and maintenance of school buildings see tables. Notwithstanding the overall increase in funds, the corporation8217;s ballooning establishment costs overheads, 70 per cent of which is accounted for by the civic staff8217;s salaries have consistently gnawed away at the education budget, Gaikwad explains.

8220;Little progress has been made by way of construction of schools and their upkeep over the last 10 years,8221; he asserts. 8220;As for repairs, roughly each ward wouldrequire about a crore rupees. So our net requirement is Rs 23 crore but the budget speaks of about a crore only.8221;

The funds-strapped BMC sent out an SOS to the private sector, including non-governmental organisations NGOs and industrial houses, in 1992, when it kicked off its School Adoption Programme8217;. About 45 NGOs have responded so far, injecting both funds and enthusiasm into the project.

These organisations oversee repairs and maintenance of school buildings, security, beautification of the buildings and surroundings and provide equipment. Of the 1,261 municipal schools, 100 were shortlisted, of which 59 have been adopted. One of the first to respond was Asmita Cultural Foundation, whose education wing has since formed the Ranekhodas Jethibhai Trust. It has adopted the Narielwadi School at Santacruz, Posha Nakhawa School at Versova and Nityanand School at Andheri.

Panna Adhvaryu, one of the trustees, says the trust has been able to achieve a zero dropout rate, its biggest achievement. It hasalso raised the level of cleanliness and hygiene in the schools run by it. Adhvaryu also feels the real estate slump will not curtail aid from business houses as the funds received are a pittance compared to the companies8217; profits. Besides, IT exemptions are an incentive, she adds. For instance, RJT gets Rs 10 lakh for three years from a prominent industrial house.

Another NGO, Pratham, was given a Rs 1 crore cheque from a foreign airline for its education programme. Its Shatak Zhep8217; has developed indigenous games to help children grasp the basics of mathematics. The NGO also works extensively in the municipal balwadi programme through its 1,670 pre-school centres. It was also a participant in the project to make Mumbai8217;s K-East ward the first ward where every single three to five-year old is now enrolled in a balwadi.