Basic edu dept admits shoes were of poor quality

LUCKNOW: The state basic educ tion department has admitte that out of 1,72,113 pair of shoe that were distributed in Lu know to the children in govern ment run primary and upper primary schools, approximately 15,000 shoes were found to be of poor quality leading to damage.

In an official comment dated April 4, 2018, director basic education Sarvendra Vikram Bahadur Singh said the shoes that were bought were sent to Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI), Noida, a government body, for lab testing too.

Hindustan Times in a frontpage report — With shoes worth Rs 266 cr in tatters, UP kids walk ‘barefoot’ to schools —on March 28 had highlighted how students were using rubberbands to carry on with the gifted pair of shoes.

The Lucknow bench of Alla- habad high court has taken suo moto cognizance of the HT report. The HC on March 28, had directed the state government to place before it “the complete record pertaining to the tender process.”

The state government has spent ₹135.75 on a pair of shoes. The shoes were distributed between October and November last year. As per the terms of contract, the supplier had furnished warrany of 12 months for replacement in case of damage.

Singh’s official comment reads that as of now the process is underway to get the damaged shoes replaced. The new pairs will once again undergo lab testing by FDDI, to ensure quality.