New Delhi Apr 10 (UNI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday has written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu alleging ‘privatisation of Sainik Schools’, using new PPP models and demanded complete rollback of the policy.
“I want to bring to your kind notice an investigative report based on an RTI reply, which described that Sainik Schools are being privatised using a new PPP model introduced by your government, and now 62% of these schools are said to be owned by BJP-RSS leaders,” Kharge said.
He said that the report also found out that out of 40 MoUs that were signed, “62% have been signed with individuals and organisations belonging to RSS-BJP Sangh Parivar”.
The Congress President alleged that in 2021 the central government brazenly initiated the privatisation of Sainik Schools, resulting in signing of MoUs for 40 out of 100 new schools based on this model.
He also claimed that, “An annual fee support of 50% (subject to an upper limit of Rs 40,000 per annum for 50% of the class strength (subject to an upper limit of 50 students) per year from Class 6 onwards till class 12, on Merit-cum-Means basis”. This in effect means, that for a school that has classes till 12th standard, SSS offers to provide support of maximum Rs 1.2 crore per annum, among other incentives”.
Kharge said that the “privatisation of Sainik Schools’ was a blatant step to politicise the independent Sainik Schools — a preparatory platform which plays a leading role in sending cadets for the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Naval Academy.”
He wrote, “In National Interest, the Indian National Congress demands the complete rollback of this privatisation policy and annulment of these MoUs”.