The Trinamool Congress-run Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has undertaken the task of improving the infrastructure of schools and integrated child development service (ICDS) centres in the civic area.
The civic board will also conduct health check-up camps where counselling for some social taboos, including child pregnancy and child marriage, will be carried out.
The decisions were made at a meeting of the standing committee on education and urban poverty alleviation, held at the SMC on Friday. Mayor Gautam Deb was present at the meeting.
“We have carried out an extensive survey of the state of affairs of different primary, upper-primary schools and ICDS centres in the civic area. Based on the data, we have shortlisted certain works which need to be carried out at these establishments, and the work has started,” said Deb.
Altogether, there are 105 primary schools, 46 upper primary schools, a special educational institution and 205 ICDS centres in 47 wards of the SMC.
Sources in the civic body said they had taken up projects like improving the kitchens where mid-day meals were cooked by providing ovens, water purifiers, utensils, development of drinking water supply facilities, construction of boundary walls and toilet blocks at the schools and centres.
So far, the SMC authorities have sent 25 projects to the Darjeeling district administration for funds, and another 33 projects have been sent to corporate houses, banks and other establishments so that those can be carried out under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) schemes.
“For the health check-up camps of students, the infrastructure of the health wing of the civic body would be engaged, and support would be sought from the North Bengal Medical College & Hospital. During these camps, counselling sessions would be conducted to prevent child marriage and child pregnancy,” said the mayor.