Telangana Model Schools grappling with infrastructural issues; Students, staff left in despair

In addition to the regular budget, the Education department sought Rs.250 crore in the forthcoming budget.

Hyderabad: Model Schools, which were set up in educationally backward blocks in the State for providing quality free education in English medium, are grappling with infrastructural issues, leaving both students and staff in a state of despair.

Faced by inadequate infrastructure facilities, including permanent buildings and pending construction works, the Education department flagged the issue with the State government, urging for financial intervention in the forthcoming budget.

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The department proposed sanction of Rs.250 crore in addition to the regular budget sanctioned to these schools.

Presently, there are 194 Model Schools operating in the State, catering to 1.17 lakh students of Class VI to Intermediate. However, several of these schools have some form of infrastructure issues.

According to sources, nearly 100 schools have incomplete buildings. The Model School Pasnur in Suryapet district has had its construction left half way, while Model School Irkode in the same district is facing incomplete building works. Similarly, other Model Schools in Chinnakodur and Kondapaka mandal of Siddipet district and Mahamutharam in Bhupalpally district are left without fully completed buildings.

The construction delay is primarily attributed to difficult terrain, with rocks and hills on the allocated sites, forcing contractors to leave the projects mid-day. This has resulted in cost escalation and construction has come to a standstill.

Further, 170 of these schools also operate hostels with inadequate essential facilities, forcing students to reside in the crowded rooms.

This alarming situation of the schools’ infrastructure prompted the department officials to seek Rs.250 crore as a one time financial assistance to complete pending building construction works.

Apart from construction of buildings, the department proposed to install CCTV surveillance cameras in these schools to ensure safety of girl students residing in the hostels.

The Model Schools had been set up under the Central and State governments scheme with 60:40 share. However, the Central government had delinked the scheme from its assistance, transferring the entire scheme to States in 2015-16.