State govt. to open 800 new KP schools this year, says Minister Madhu Bangarappa

Minister for School Education Madhu Bangarappa, on Tuesday, said that the State government will establish 800 new Karnataka Public Schools this year, and a programme to mark the inauguration will be held in Shivamogga, likely in October.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and other leaders will attend the programme.

In a press conference here on Tuesday, the Minister said that since 2018, as many as 308 KP Schools had been opened across the State. However, the present government had decided to set up 800 new such schools at one go. A majority of them would come up in the Kalyana Karnataka region to boost the education sector there. The State Cabinet will clear the setting up of new schools in the meeting expected to be held on September 4.

“We are utilising a major chunk of funds of the Kalyan Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) for setting up KP Schools in that region. Besides that, each district will get a few schools. This will be a major step in improving the quality of education in the State. Being a Minister in charge of Shivamogga, I am planning to hold the ceremony to mark the occasion in my native district,” he said.

Besides the KP schools, the CM and DCM would inaugurate a few other development works in the Shivamogga district on the occasion. The works would include Pragathi Patha road work, irrigation works in Soraba and Bhadravathi taluks, the construction of a super speciality hospital, among others, the Minister said.

“By then, if possible, we will lay the foundation stone for the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project, after convincing the environmentalists, who are opposing the project,” Mr. Bangarappa said.

Further, the Minister said officers have been instructed to assess the loss suffered by the areca and maize growers, who have suffered crop loss in the recent rains in the Malnad region. The areca plantations, grown over 45,000 hectares, were hit by fruit rot (kole roga). Both the State and the Central governments have to respond to the woes of the farmers, he said.

Mr. Bangarappa said the government would initiate the process to recruit 18,500 teachers soon. “We are recruiting teachers in big numbers. As the internal reservation within the Scheduled Castes has been finalised, the recruitment process will begin soon,” he stated.

MLC Balkhis Banu and district Congress president R. Prasanna Kumar were present at the press conference.