INDIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM SCHOOLSSystem failureSystem failure

A year later, few computers in Lakhimpur Kheri’s schools function as thieves have stolen the equipment

Alka Pande

Lakhimpur Kheri, October 5: In September last year, 10 upper primary schools in Lakhimpur Kheri district got computers under the Education for All scheme. Even as the villagers remained without electricity, solar-powered generators ensured that the students got their computer lessons.

Sounds like a story of real rural empowerment. But a year later, not many of these computers are functional. The reason: in some cases the solar plates have been stolen, while in others the entire computers have ‘‘vanished’’.

The project which envisaged providing solar energy to run computers in rural area schools was the brainchild of the Non-conventional Energy Development Agency (NEDA). Costing Rs 5 lakhs, the pilot project was taken up in ten development blocks of Lakhimpur Kheri.

The areas of Chahmalpur, Palia, Nighasan, Ishwagar, Bhaurhara, Bijuadan, Mohammedi, Khumbhi, Baijam were among those which benefitted from the project.

‘‘The computers were provided to upper primary schools in rural areas under the Education for All scheme. But since there was no regular supply of electricity in these villages, the plan was to fix solar plates at these schools and run the computers on solar energy,’’ said G B Patnaik, the former director of NEDA who was instrumental in setting up the project.

‘‘The energy produced by these solar plates was enough to keep the computers functional for about four hours, during which time we were able to complete four to five classes,’’ said Santosh Kumar, the computer teacher of Nakaha village upper primary school at Chahmalpur block.

However, the computers today run only if the invertor — which is not in a very good condition either — is functional. So, more often than not, the students are not able to get any practical lessons.

‘‘On May 3, someone stole the solar plates,’’ said the school principal, Ramesh Chandra. The school filed an FIR and sent a report to the NEDA director, but no action has been taken yet.

Similar reports of solar plates being stolen came from the upper primary schools at Bijua and Ishwara. At Mohammadi, the entire computer was stolen.

When contacted, NEDA director Sanjay Bhusreddy said: ‘‘We are only the technology provider. The computers were installed in these rural upper primary schools under the Education for All project. It is their responsibility to ensure the safety of the gadgets.’’

Last year, the project had received accolades from all quarters. A high-level team from the Centre visited these schools in December. They were followed by a delegation of the World Bank Joint Review Mission. The teams had then decided to extend the project to 900 other village schools.

Stating that they were going ahead with their plans to launch the project in about 900 schools, J S Dipak, the director of the Education for All scheme, said: ‘‘But this time we will make the installation of solar panels more robust.’’’