MCD transfers Rs 109 crore to students' accounts for uniforms, stationery

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Thursday transferred Rs 109 crore directly to the bank accounts of students studying in the civic body schools for uniforms and stationery under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme.

The initiative, launched in collaboration with IDBI Bank, was inaugurated by Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh at the Civic Centre’s Kedarnath Sahni Auditorium.

Senior officials, Commissioner Ashwani Kumar, Additional Commissioners Pankaj Naresh Agarwal and Veer Singh, Education Committee chairman Yogesh Verma, Deputy Chairman Amit Kharkhari, attended the event.

Speaking at the occasion, Mayor Singh said the facilities in MCD schools were comparable to private institutions, with teachers recruited through competitive examinations.

“More than 60 per cent of students in leading medical and engineering colleges have studied in government schools. Teachers are like gods, and what they can give to children cannot be given by society or even parents,” he said.

He also thanked IDBI Bank for donating 104 smart boards worth Rs 1.5 crore to MCD schools and urged the bank to extend support worth at least Rs 10 crore for further digital infrastructure.

Meanwhile, MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar described education as the “greatest gift” and credited primary teachers for shaping students’ character and courage.

He urged teachers to focus on cleanliness and greenery in school campuses while teaching with dedication.

Education Committee chairman Yogesh Verma said the transfer was part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a transparent, paperless system. “A teacher is a craftsman who shapes the future of children. Teaching with true spirit is not just a job but a service,” he said, adding that alumni from MCD schools today hold high positions as IAS, IPS officers, doctors, and engineers.

Verma further announced that Rotary Club International has promised to construct toilet blocks in 25 municipal schools and stressed the need to address shortages of sanitation staff. He also urged principals to increase enrolment by bringing back children excluded from mainstream education, promising municipal awards to teachers who succeed in enrolling the highest numbers. PTI NSM NB