Chandigarh: The Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh has proposed Rs.45.14 crore for universal access to secondary education during 2010-11 under the centrally-sponsored scheme Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA).

"We will summon the annual and prospective plan for 2010-2020 from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and we have also proposed a budget of over Rs.45 crore for secondary education for 2010-11 under the RMSA," Ram Niwas, UT Education Secretary, said recently.

"Chandigarh has proposed to achieve Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) of 50 per cent by 2012, 90 per cent by 2019 and 100 per cent by 2020. Whereas the Net Enrollment Ratio (NER) of 100 percent will be achieved by 2022," said Niwas, who is also UT Home Secretary.

The Chandigarh administration plans to increase the enrollment at secondary level, in classes IX and X, by five times within a span of 15 years.

As per official records, UT education department targeted to increase the enrollment from 20,211 in 2007-08 to 38,454 in 2012; 65,752 in 2015; 85,328 in 2017; 100,822 in 2020; and to 117,351 in 2022.

"To achieve these targets, we have proposed to construct new school buildings, additional class rooms and toilet blocks, deployment of more teachers as well as in-service training programmes to meet the expectations of National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005," the UT spokesperson said.

"We have proposed that Rs.33.14 crore will be spent on construction of additional classrooms, laboratories, libraries, staff room and medical room. Besides, around Rs.6.37 crore has been proposed for additional posts of teachers for both newly- upgraded and existing schools," the spokesperson said. IANS