KOLHAPUR: The Kolhapur zilla parishad education department is planning on strict implementation of the free uniform distribution to the beneficiary students on the first day of the new academic year.An official from the district primary education department said from last year onwards, the students have to buy their own uniforms and the grant of Rs 400 is deposited in their account."So, the schools have already been asked to inform the parents and students to buy the uniforms as the grant will be deposited accordingly," an official said, adding that last year many parents had opened the joint account with their wards and this year it will be easier to deposit the aid in their account.Currently, the free uniform distribution scheme is operational under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan SSA ). The official added that the education department is taking every necessary step to attract the potential students to the ZP operated schools and uniform distribution on very first day is the important step towards it. All the block development officials in the 12 talukas of the district have been told about the same.The free uniform distribution scheme was launched in the state to curb dropout rate of the reserved category students in the year 1979-80.While to boost girl education, the state had started distributing free uniforms to all the girl students in class I to class IV in Zilla Parishad schools from 1996.Another ZP official said that in Kolhapur district the SSA covers almost 1.15 lakh beneficiaries from class I to class VIII.

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