'Textile lobby behind uniform procurement order'

HUBBALLI: Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar alleged that the previous state government led by Siddaramaiah passed a resolution in a Cabinet meeting in March to allow big textile companies to supply school uniforms to schoolchildren studying from class 1 to 8, and snatched the rights of school development and monitoring committees (SDMCs) to procure school uniforms of their choice.
Shettar told reporters here on Saturday that SDMCs, comprising of the school headmaster and parents whose children are studying in the said school, were procuring school uniforms. "They were procuring the uniform at nearby shops. They were selecting the colour of their choice. After procuring them, they would entrust local tailors, many of them women, with stitching the uniform after taking proper measurement of children. The cost of each uniform was Rs 200. This practice was smooth. However, the Siddaramaiah government bowed down to the lobby of big textile companies from various parts of the country and allowed them to supply uniform," he alleged.
Shettar said the state government earmarked Rs 96.31 crore for the procurement of uniform. "In order to dissuade small companies from participating in the bidding and snatch the rights of SDMCs, the government has imposed many conditions, including turnover of not less than Rs 23 crore for supplying uniform in Bengaluru division, Rs 14.36 crore for Mysuru division, Rs 32 crore for Belagavi division and Rs 26 crore for Kalaburagi division," said Shettar.
The former CM said he will urge chief minister H D Kumaraswamy to set aside the order and allow SDMCs to procure uniforms and thereby help local tailors. "Otherwise, it will be clear that the chief minister is also the part of the irregularities," he said.
On crop insurance
Shettar termed the way crop insurance units are formed in Hubballi under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana as unscientific. He said that 22 villages have been included under Hubballi ULB Insurance Unit. "When some villages of the unit get less and some get sufficient rain, there will be confusion in deciding crop insurance. Hence, I urge the re-modification of the unit and include the 22 villages in three separate units," he said.