Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board chairman Ajay Singh addressing a media conference in Kalaburagi on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI
Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) has decided to select 2,000 government schools across the 41 Assembly segments spread in the seven districts of Kalyana Karnataka region and develop them into model schools with better infrastructure and teaching faculty.
Addressing a media conference at KKRDB headquarters in Kalaburagi on Tuesday, a day after KKRDB’s first meeting of the new financial year was held, chairman of KKRDB Ajay Singh said that the decision is part of steps to improve the educational scenario in the backward region.
These select schools will be provided with all infrastructure, quality teaching faculty and the required infrastructure to make them model schools.
Besides, the government has sanctioned 184 Karnataka Public Schools for the region. Recruiting 6,584 teachers for the region is in the final stages. These are the major initiatives for improving the educational scenario in the region. “We have declared 2024-25 as the educational year and will spend 25% of the funds for the education sector,” Dr. Singh said.
Mini Vidhana Soudha
Dr. Singh said that the KKRDB will fund the construction of 18 Mini Vidhana Soudhas in the new taluks formed in the last seven years.
“There are 18 new taluks that have been formed in the last seven years and none of them have Mini Vidhana Soudhas where offices of all the government departments can function from. It is a huge inconvenience for people who have to visit more than one office. To address this crucial issue, the KKRDB has joined the Revenue Department to build Mini Vidhana Soudhas in all the 18 taluks at a cost of ₹15 crore each,” he said.
“The board has also resolved to join hands with the Health Department to construct 46 Primary Health Centres at a total cost of ₹221 crore. The KKRDB will collaborate with the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department to develop rural roads across the region at ₹1,000 crore. The KKRDB and the RDPR Department will provide ₹335 crore and ₹665 crore, respectively,” Dr. Singh said.
When asked how the KKRDB will ensure quality of work as there have been several complaints against private third-party inspection inspectors, KKRDB secretary Sundaresh Babu said that third-party inspection for quality check has been assigned to quality controlling wings in government departments.
“After complaints were raised about private third-party inspectors, we are getting quality checked by quality control wings of the Public Works Department and Government Engineering Colleges. We have a plan to have our own quality control wing at KKRDB. A proposal has already been sent to the government. If it is approved, we will establish the wing from top to bottom,” Mr. Babu said.
Biometric attendance
When asked about the increasing complaints against teachers at government schools for not taking classes properly, Additional Commissioner of School Education (Kalaburagi Division) Akash S. said that his department has already started biometric attendance system in certain schools in Bidar district.
“The biometric attendance system needs to be extended to all government schools in the region to ensure that teachers attend classes properly. We are waiting for a government direction in the matter,” Mr. Akash said.
