Soon, sweaters for students of KMC schools

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation will soon give sweaters free of cost to all students studying in the civic body's schools across the city. The school department of the KMC is

hopeful that students will receive the stuff before the winter sets in full swing. This is for the first time such woolen garments are being offered free to students.

"We have 253 schools under our jurisdiction in the city with a student strength of around 25,000. The tender process is over," Avijit Mukherjee , member Mayor-in-Council (Education) said. A Budget of Rs 50 lakh had been allocated for this.

The Education department of the civic body will also handover tiffin boxes and water bottles to all students for which a Budget of Rs 65 lakh has been allocated.

KMC has already started distributing 'education kits' to the students of its primary schools. Each kit has a school dress, a school bag, socks, a pair of shoes, a pencil box, a sharpener, an eraser, copies and an identity card.

"We are also laying emphasis on cleanliness as this contributes immensely in changing the mindset of the students who study in the civic schools," an official of KMC's Education department said.

The civic body will recruit 100 contractual teachers in 2018. "The process of selection is on and we have selected a private agency through proper tendering. There has been 18,000 applications for the posts," the official added.

The Mamata Banerjee-government in February 2016 had initiated a Rs 154-crore project to provide 80 lakh primary school students free shoes.

Currently, textbooks are being distributed free of cost to all students of recognised primary schools up to Class V and free school dress is being provided to students of primary schools.