Education Minister P.K. Abdu Rabb has said the State government will take all possible steps to exempt schools from paying commercial tariff for electricity.
The matter would be discussed with the Electricity Minister, he said while addressing a seminar on ‘Rights and opportunities for minority educational institutions in Kerala' here on Saturday.
Mr. Rabb said the government would think of introducing a special tariff for such institutions or charging house tariff from them. “Earlier, power consumption in schools was minimal owing to lack of sophisticated electrical equipment. Now the situation has changed with the entry of computers in classrooms,” he said.
The Minister said the uncertainty prevailing in allotting new unaided schools would be sorted out. Issues regarding pre-matric and post-matric scholarships would be settled with deserving attention, he said. The State government would soon initiate measures to process the applications of various schools for CBSE recognition, Mr. Rabb said. It had also taken a decision to distribute the pending grants of madrasas in the State, he said.
Referring to the uncertainties prevailing in the timely distribution of textbooks, the Minister said there would not be any trouble for government, aided, and unaided schools from the coming academic year. Arrangements would be made to ensure simultaneous distribution of textbooks to all schools, he said. The Minister made it clear that alternative schools (Badhal Schools) functioning in the State would be protected by the government.
The fund for strengthening around 600 such schools would be taken by the State government, he said.
