Varanasi, Jul 21 (IANS): Preparations have begun on a war footing for the Uttar Pradesh government's "Har Ghar Tiranga" campaign, scheduled to be held next month.
Teachers in Varanasi have started crowd funding to collect money to buy around one lakh flags that will be distributed to children on the occasion.
Basic Education Officer Rakesh Singh said, "The education department has been given a target of purchasing one lakh flags and distributing it among poor children for hoisting them under the campaign. We have to purchase the flags from the District Urban Development Authority (DUDA) against the payment of Rs 40 for each flag. To achieve the target of purchasing the flags, a fund of Rs 40 lakh is required. This fund is being arranged with public cooperation and through voluntary contribution."
Though officials claimed that funds for flags have to be raised through public cooperation, the headmasters and teachers have been given a target for raising funds for the purpose.
Uttar Pradesh Prathamik Shikshak Sangh's (UPPSS) district vice-president Sanat Kumar Singh said that his union's consent was not sought before issuing the order of fund raising by teachers.
To mark the 75th year of independence, the Union government is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, and as a part of the same, 'Har Ghar Tiranga' has been adopted to inspire all countrymen to hoist the national flag at their homes.
Under the programme, the national flag will be hoisted from August 13 to 15. After the district administration assigned the task to each department to make the programme a grand success, the basic education officer also issued a letter on July 18 to the block education officers mentioning the name of banks and account number for depositing funds raised for flag purchase along with the target for flag purchase.
As per the target fixed in the letter, each of the eight blocks - Chiraigaon, Cholapur, Harahua, Kashi Vidyapeeth, Arazilines, Pindra, Sevapuri and Badagaon have to contribute Rs 4.40 lakh to purchase 88,000 flags, while city and Ramnagar have been given the target of contributing Rs 4.80 lakh to buy 12,000 flags.
Referring to the same letter of the basic education officer, the block education officers of Harahua and Cholapur issued office orders fixing the target of flag purchase for each teacher of the primary schools.
Regarding these orders, the basic education officer said, "Funds of around Rs 4 lakhs have to be contributed by each block and we are trying to collect it through public cooperation and donations. Flags will be purchased with the amount which would be raised for it."
However, the basic education officer claimed that there is no pressure on anyone to contribute funds.
The teachers have been given only three days' time for the fund collection.
The teachers' union leader Sanat Kumar Singh said, "We welcome the Har Ghar Tiranga programme and teachers are also ready to take part in it with full enthusiasm. However, there should be voluntary financial support instead of issuing orders for fund raising as done by some block education officers without taking UPPSS in confidence.