Hyderabad: While responding to a question by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC Tata Madhusudhan, the education minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy in the Legislative Council on Wednesday said that over 26,000 government schools will get a facelift under the ‘Mana Ooru Mana Badi programme’s first phase by June this year.
The minister said that the state government has undertaken 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.
Briefing on phase I, she said that 12 different component works were being executed in 9,123 schools at an estimated cost of Rs 3,497.62 crore.
“Sports and library facilities were also being arranged in 10,000 schools under the programme besides classrooms being equipped with four fans and four lights,” said the minister.
Sabitha Reddy further added that “As per the instructions of chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, solar panels were being installed in the schools to cut down the power bills.”
“1,521 schools have already been installed with solar panels worth Rs 32 crore in addition to the 12 components works under the programme,” said Sabitha.
Commenting on the slow pace of work in a few schools, the minister said, “to execute jobs above Rs 30 lakh, tenders were being floated.”
She went on to justify the delays saying, “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.”
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