Hyderabad: Uncertainty surrounds ‘Mana Ooru – Mana Badi’ initiative

Not sure whether the initiative was being continued or shelved, the School Education department is learnt to have recently written to the State government seeking clarity.

Hyderabad: Uncertainty looms large over the ‘Mana Ooru – Mana Badi’, an initiative launched by the previous BRS government, that revamped government and local body schools in the State.

Not sure whether the initiative was being continued or shelved, the School Education department is learnt to have recently written to the State government seeking clarity. The department is said to have also sought clarity about the pending bills for works taken up under the ‘Mana Ooru – Mana Badi’ programme.

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To change the face of the government schools besides strengthening them, the previous BRS government had brought in the ‘Mana Ooru- Mana Badi/Mana Basti – Mana Badi’ programme. As the initiative grounded, the government schools transformed, resembling a corporate school.

Launched by the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao in Wanaparthy district on March 8, 2022, the schools have been given a major facelift under 12 components – toilets with running water facility, electrification, drinking water supply, furniture, painting of entire schools, green chalkboard, compound walls, kitchen sheds, new classrooms in place of dilapidated ones, and dining halls in high schools under the programme.

As part of implementing digital education, the schools have been provided with interactive flat panels.

A total of 9,123 schools were selected as part of the first phase of the programme, which required Rs.3,492 crore. The works in the selected schools were implemented by the respective school management committee, which have now been done away with by the Congress government that constituted Amma Adarsha Patashala Committee.

Several bills for works undertaken by the school management committees worth crores have been pending with the government. It is learnt that pending bills amounting to Rs.650 crore is towards executing civil marks and Rs.350 crore for other related works.

It is also learnt that these bills have not been cleared since December 2023, forcing contractors and school management committee chairpersons to run pillar to post seeking their dues.