The DSEL has constituted a district-level inquiry committee to inspect the quality of shoes and socks distributed to students of classes 1 to 10 at government schools. The committee will be constituted by the Chief Executive Officers of zilla panchayats.
In the order, the department instructed that the officials or staff chosen for the inspection committee should not be from DSEL. The committees must complete the verification within 10 days and submit the report.
After receiving district-wise reports, the Commissioner of the department will prepare a State-level consolidated report based on the findings and submit it to the government.
There were complaints regarding shoes tearing or soles separating within a few days of use, oversized or ill-fitting shoes, and similar defects in socks.
The department has called for an independent verification, as the complaints have raised doubts over whether the shoes and socks supplied were certified by authorised agencies and whether the products supplied were certified. The teams have to visit at least 25% schools in each district.
The verification teams have been instructed to check for delamination or peeling of soles, loose stitching around the toe or heel, whether the upper material used in the shoes conform to the specifications in the tender or whether synthetic material has been used, and the thickness of the material. They must also conduct spot measurements of the shoes supplied to determine whether ill-fitting shoes were distributed. The teams have to verify the lot number, certification by the Footwear Design and Development Institute), and the pre-dispatch inspection certificate.
The committees have to take photographs of their verification process and attach them with the report.
