Over 26,000 government schools to get facelift in Telangana: Sabitha

Telangana government was taking up the programme in 26,065 government schools in three phases, spread over three years and with a financial outlay of Rs 7,289.54 crore

Hyderabad: Education Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy said all efforts were being made to complete the Mana Ooru Mana Badi programme’s first phase by June this year.

The State government was taking up the programme in 26,065 government schools in three phases, spread over three years and with a financial outlay of Rs 7,289.54 crore. Under phase I, 12 different components works were being executed in 9,123 schools at an estimated cost of Rs 3,497.62 crore.

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Responding to a question by BRS MLC Tata Madhusudhan in the Legislative Council here on Wednesday, the Minister said sports and library facilities were also being arranged in 10,000 schools under the programme. Each classroom was being equipped with four fans and four lights. As per the instructions of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, solar panels were being installed in the schools to cut down the power bills, she said.

Already, solar panels were being set up in 1,521 schools with a cost of Rs 32 crore in addition to the 12 components works under the programme. On the sluggish pace of works in few schools, the Minister said generally works below Rs 30 lakh were executed by School Management Committees. To execute works above Rs 30 lakh, tenders were being floated, she said.

However, in many cases, there was no reply from bidders for tenders even after they were called for four to five times. In such cases, the government has decided to entrust the task of executing the works to respective School Management Committees, the Minister explained.