Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Tuesday, announced free and quality education to the people of poll-bound Gujarat if his party is elected to power. Kejriwal, who celebrates his birthday today, was speaking at an interaction organised in Bhuj, the district capital of Kutch.
For the last few months, the AAP has been raising the issue of education in government schools in Gujarat. This is an issue that has been bothering the ruling BJP. A few lawmakers of the party even went to Delhi to study the AAP government's 'education model.'
Gujarat Education Minister Jitu Vaghani had lost his cool when asked about the visit of BJP MLAs to Delhi and said if someone did not like the education system in Gujarat, they can send their children to schools in other states.
Kejriwal said new schools will be opened in the state and conditions of existing schools will be improved. He also promised to conduct an audit of private schools, if his party comes to power.
No schools will be allowed to increase fees, and if they wish to do so, they will have to take the government’s permission, he said.
He promised that teachers on contract will be made permanent. “If you give teachers respect and security then they will be able to teach better.”
Kejriwal also assured that teachers won't be given any additional duties.
He asked vidhyasahayaks to campaign for the AAP and help it to form government. Kejriwal said he would resolve all their problems if AAP comes to power.
The AAP convener said India can't become number one in the world without setting right the education system. He blamed both the BJP and the Congress for the current state of affairs of education and claimed that all the government schools of the country can become like the ones in Delhi.
The Delhi CM pointed out that in order for people to get good jobs and become rich to make the country number one, education is the most important factor. He cited the example of a boy from Delhi who got admission in AIIMS. The boy’s father, said Kejriwal, is a carpenter and earns around Rs 8,000-10,000 per month.
He also spoke about grade pay for the police force of Gujarat.
Kejriwal said during his last visit, he had spoken about the grade pay of state police, and the Gujarat government “woke up” and offered them some allowance. He urged the police force to support the AAP and said they should take the allowances from the BJP and the grade pay will be given by the AAP.
In the run up to the elections, among several commitments, Kejriwal promised 300 units of free electricity every month, monthly unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 to youth and an allowance of Rs 1,000 to women above the age of 18.
