Ahmedabad: For the first time, around 1.72 lakh students studying in schools run by the Nagar Primary Education Committee of Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will be provided boots, School Board Chairman Sujay Mehta said after the weekly Standing Committee meeting held today.

Speaking to the press, Sujay Mehta said that Mayor Pratibhaben Jain, Standing Committee Chairman Devangbhai Dani, and the entire team of office-bearers had made a special provision for schools run by the Nagar Primary Education Committee in last year’s AMC budget. Under this provision, students will be provided with boots, for which an allocation of ₹5 crore was made under the zero budget head.

He said the announcement made last year has now been implemented. From Friday onwards, around 1.72 lakh students of the Nagar Primary Education Committee schools will be provided boots through funds allocated by Standing Committee Chairman Devangbhai Dani. The move aims to ensure uniformity, as earlier students wore slippers, sandals, or shoes of different types, which affected discipline and uniformity. Mehta added that wearing slippers often exposed students’ feet to dirt, posing health risks. Keeping students’ health and hygiene in mind, the decision to provide boots was taken.

Further elaborating on welfare initiatives, Mehta said that under the Dudh Sanjeevani Yojana, the AMC currently provides 250 ml of milk to students. Additionally, snacks are distributed under the Chief Minister’s Snack Scheme along with mid-day meals. Regular health check-ups are also conducted by the corporation. He said the AMC and the state government are jointly working to ensure quality education, nutrition, and healthcare for students.

Mehta also announced that schools located in areas merged with the AMC have been brought under the jurisdiction of the Municipal School Board.

He noted that six primary schools previously under the Ahmedabad District Panchayat—Ghuma Primary School, Bopal Primary School, Kathwada Primary School, B.L. Mehta Kathwada Maj Primary School, Zaveri Dairy Farm Primary School, and Hudco Primary School—have been transferred to the Ahmedabad Municipal School Board from February 9. In addition, three primary schools from the Gandhinagar District Panchayat—Chiloda Baraiya Kumar Primary School, Chiloda Baraiya Kanya Primary School, and Gopalnagar Primary School—have also been transferred, taking the total to nine schools.

He added that students in these schools will now receive improved facilities, including technological and quality education, under initiatives implemented by the AMC and the School Board. DeshGujarat