Integrated resi. schools to become reality from next academic year

Hyderabad: With the aim of launching integrated residential schools by the next academic year, the government has set a deadline. Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka directed officials to expedite land acquisition to complete the construction of building structures within the next eight months.

Bhatti, along with BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, held a review meeting with officials of the Education Department and SC, ST, BC, and minority residential schools at the Secretariat on Monday. He instructed them to speed up the process for land acquisition of 15–25 acres in rural areas and 10–15 acres in urban areas to come up with 120 residential schools. The schools will be constructed in 30 areas, with an estimate of Rs 5,000 crore.

He called for effective coordination with respective district collectors for the acquisition of sites for IRS buildings in various constituencies. The designs for these schools should also be readied. It was decided to provide cots to all students in government hostels and residential schools. All facilities and amenities, like toilets, bathrooms, running water, electricity, doors and windows for hostel rooms, and mosquito mesh for windows, will be provided without fail. A checklist should be prepared by including all these facilities and displayed in every hostel, he said.

The Deputy CM positively responded to Prabhakar's appeal for the immediate release of the second installment of overseas scholarships to students studying abroad. He asked officials to give a list of pending overseas scholarships in the SC, ST, BC, and Minority Departments. During this academic year, overseas scholarships will be sanctioned to 800 BC students and 500 each among SC, ST, and minorities, Bhatti announced.