24 lakh students in Telangana to get free textbooks, notebooks, uniforms

Education Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy said the free distribution of textbooks and notebooks, which would cost Rs.200 crore this year, was facilitated by CM KCR with a generous approach towards development of the education sector in the State

Hyderabad: Over 24 lakh students on the rolls in government schools in the State would be provided with free textbooks, notebooks and uniforms by the State government, Education Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy said here on Wednesday.

Conducting a review meeting with officials of the Education Department at the Secretariat, she said the free distribution of textbooks and notebooks, which would cost Rs.200 crore this year, was facilitated by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao with a generous approach towards development of the education sector in the State.

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The Telangana government had spent Rs.138 crore on distribution of textbooks and notebooks last year. Children studying in the primary schools would be provided with workbooks also. The requirement of notebooks for students in high schools was already taken into count and supplies would be made accordingly.

Students would be getting bilingual text books this year. In addition to this, the Minister wanted the department to provide two pairs of school uniforms to all the students.

The uniforms were being provided to the school children at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

The schools will reopen on June 12. The new academic year should commence in a festive atmosphere. The distribution of textbooks, notebooks and uniforms should be made in the presence of parents involving local legislators and public representatives, the Minister said.

She also wanted all works taken up under the ‘Mana Ooru-Mana Badi’ programme to be expedited so as to complete them by the first week of June.