AP collects donations from Students to raise funds for Amaravathi

Crowd funding may be buzzword for start-ups in India. In its passion to “include everybody” in Task Amaravati, the sunrise State of Andhra Pradesh government has directed all district officials to collect Rs.10 each from 64000 academic establishments and all pupils with a view to create “ imbibing a sense of belonging” among all the sections of the people across the State in order to showcase the activity of building world class Capital city Amaravati, while leaving no opportunity untapped to raise the required resources.

Nobody has any issues with that. But, what surprises the people are the target audience it is choosing and the paltry sums it is eyeing from them on one hand, and its extravagance on several things like overindulge on multiple camp offices- estimated to be Rs.150 crore – for the renovation of Chief Minister’s Office at Secretariat in Hyderabad, which is hardly used, and the office at Vijayawada and many such activities, on the other and the frequent foreign jaunts by large official delegations along with the Chief Minister, etc.

In fact, the AP government has created one unique online website under ‘My Brick My Amaravathi’ progrmme to get the donations deposited to “My Capital, My Amarvathi, My Brick” by pricing every brick at Rs.10 each and as per web data so far 53,26,470 bricks from 2,22,192 people were collected and amounted Rs.5.32 crore with this the AP government has generated an archive of types.

It has also decided to include three teachers within the building capital area and about 70 individuals. Though it doesn’t appear to be a well-thought-out plan of action, the AP Government has had its Commissioner of School Education issue a circular – RC/A&I/2016 – to collect donations from students and staff @ Rs.10 each and asked the concerned officials to deposit the money. The estimated accrual to the exchequer by way of this wangled ‘donation ‘ is pegged around at a meager Rs.7.50 crore.
The Balala Hakkula Sangham activists has demanded that the circular must be rolled back forthwith and came along greatly about the state fighting that required the assortment of cash, however it might be, from pupils and academics “ is from the nature of the Best to Education Act” and contended that the government was usurping the basic rights of the children to education and pursuing the “anti- children policy”.
Though the Government is claiming that it is for involving everyone in the process and is brushing aside the opposition to the process as just a cavil, the justification isn’t standing legal scrutiny. As if this is not enough, the State Government has also extended the donation programme to junior colleges by issuing another circular, that has attracted wide spread diatribe from opposition parties and people to stop such practices immediately.

The issue of donations from students has come before the Hon’ble High Court and it is directed that the students should not be forced to donate which is unlawful, compulsive and coercive. It also found fault with the tone and language used in the circulars and making the donations mandatory was unacceptable and asserted that the court will not spare any indulging in such coercive activities.

It also pointed out that donation is something that has to come as a reflex from people with a service motto from their hearts but not coercively collecting Rs.10 from every student, Rs.100 from DWCRA women, pensioners and public donations, which do not have any transparency, smacks of the intellectual bankruptcy of the government.

It also noted that why government is collecting donations in the grab of inculcating a sense of belonging to the State and emotionally blackmailing the public and students, which is immoral on part of the government.

The State Government, which has put up “hundi” at CMO, secretariat and other important places some time ago, removed them immediately after the move received more brickbats than bouquets. The Government should realise that what was dented was not the anticipated income to the exchequer, but its credibility.

This has also severely criticized by the Bala Hakula Sangam, as a result the government determined to withhold Rs.10 each in the regular aesthetic costs settled towards government’s pupils-schools and work hostels.

G.Rajendera Kumar