Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 19: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and national convenor Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday urged the Centre to consider using the PM CARES Fund to improve infrastructure in rural schools and build more than 1,000 high-tech model schools.

Dipke, whose party has launched the 'School Thik Karo' campaign highlighting gaps in rural school infrastructure, said children in several parts of the country continue to lack basic facilities such as proper roads leading to schools, benches and drinking water.

According to the latest audit report, the balance in the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund stood at Rs 8,452 crore as on March 31, 2025, compared with Rs 7,173 crore a year earlier.

In a video statement posted on X, Dipke questioned why the funds could not be used to address infrastructure deficiencies in government schools.

“On one hand, Rs 8,500 crore is lying unused and on the other hand we see that the children of this country are crying for a good road to school, for good benches in school and for drinking water in school. So, why are we not using this money for the schools of these children?” he said.

Dipke said that if the construction of a fully equipped model school cost around Rs 8 crore, the available funds could theoretically finance more than 1,000 such schools.

“If one school costs Rs 8 crore, then in Rs 8,500 crore, more than 1,000 new high-tech model schools could be built,” he said.

“But this is not happening,” he added.

Referring to his recent visits to rural schools in Maharashtra, Dipke said he found their condition “very bad” and claimed that many lacked basic infrastructure.

“When I asked the authorities why there were no basic facilities here, I was told that there was a shortage of funds,” he said.

He questioned the apparent contrast between the shortage of funds cited by authorities for school infrastructure and the large balance maintained in the PM CARES Fund.

“So on one hand, it is being said that there are no funds and on the other hand Rs 8,500 crore is lying in the PM CARES Fund. So, should this money not be used for the schools?” he asked.

Dipke appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider using the fund for education and school infrastructure, particularly for children from economically weaker sections.

“So, request the PM to please use the PM CARES Fund for the people, for the education (and) for the schools of the poor kids. And the PM should show that he actually cares,” he said.

In another post on X, Dipke shared photographs showing a dirty school toilet and a run-down school building, saying the PM CARES Fund could be put to better use.

The latest audit report showed that of the fund's total balance of Rs 8,452 crore, around Rs 7,846 crore was kept in fixed deposits and Rs 605 crore in savings bank accounts.

The fund's expenditure during 2024-25 stood at Rs 87.85 lakh, compared with Rs 15.6 crore in the previous financial year.

Around Rs 87.8 lakh was spent under the PM CARES for Children Scheme during the year. The scheme provides support to children who lost both parents, a surviving parent, legal guardian or adoptive parents to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The expenditure under the scheme was sharply lower than the Rs 15.37 crore spent in the previous year.

Dipke's remarks come as the CJP continues its 'School Thik Karo' campaign, seeking greater attention and resources for basic infrastructure in rural government schools.