Telangana govt turns to Central Sponsored Schemes, focus on urban schools

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed departments to make optimum use of Central Sponsored Schemes (CSS) to fund welfare and development programmes. The Finance Department was instructed to release the State’s share promptly.

Hyderabad: The cash-strapped Telangana government is now laying more focus on Central Sponsored Schemes (CSS) for implementation of different welfare and development programmes.

Instructions have been issued to different departments to make optimum use of funds granted under CSS.

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Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held a nearly three-hour review meeting with Secretaries of all departments here on Tuesday.

During the meeting, he reminded the officials that under CSS the State governments must allot 40 percent funds as their shares and the balance 60 percent would be released by the Union government.

“There is scope to get Rs 3,000 crore funds from the Union government through CSS. All departments should prepare plans accordingly,” Revanth Reddy instructed the officials.

The Finance department was specifically directed to release the State Government’s share of 40 percent of funds under CSS promptly.

All the details pertaining to the approvals from the Union government and pending issues should be prepared regularly and uploaded online. The status of these issues should be reviewed every week, he said.

With criticism mounting over poor enrollment of students in government schools and their closure, the Chief Minister directed the officials to lay more emphasis on the schools in core urban areas in the State.

“Like corporate schools, transport facilities should be arranged, besides effective implementation of breakfast and mid-day meals schemes in government schools,” Revanth Reddy said.