Kannada Development Authority (KDA) Chairperson Mukhyamantri Chandru has urged Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to make special allocation in the State budget for improving basic infrastructure in government primary schools.
Addressing a press conference in Bangalore on Saturday, Mr. Mukhyamantri Chandru said that the State government should allocate additional 20 per cent of the budget allocation made for primary education for providing basic infrastructure in government primary schools. He claimed that with better infrastructure government primary schools would be able to attract more number of children. Mr. Chandru said that children belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities and economically weaker sections study in government schools in rural areas, but those schools lack basic infrastructure and good teaching faculty.
It is the government’s responsibility to protect the interests of government primary schools instead of promoting private educational institutions that are commercialising education.
“KDA has written a detailed letter in this regard to the Chief Minister and is optimistic about the outcome”, Mr. Chandru said.
Open letter
In the capacity of the Chairman of KDA, Mr. Mukyamantri Chandru said, he has written an open letter to over 50 leaders of various political parties urging them to commit themselves to protecting the interests of Kannadigas. In their election manifestoes, all political parties should promise to provide primacy to Kannada, employment to Kannadigas, and promise to implement Sarojini Mahishi report, besides introducing Kannada as the medium of instruction in primary education and promote use of Kannada in administration.
Mr. Mukyamantri Chandru also suggested that only people with knowledge of Kannada should be given party ticket for contesting Assembly election. He added that political parties should deny ticket to even those who are demanding separate Statehood.
He urged the people of the State to exercise their franchise only in favour of candidates who will protect the interests of Karnataka, Kannada and Kannadigas.
Mr. Chandru told presspersons that the KDA had urged the government to take action against 250 government officials who were refusing to implement Kannada as the administrative language, but the government had done little in that direction.
