The Hindu : Govt. agrees to increase coverage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 04, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Govt. agrees to increase coverage

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD March 3. The State Government has no objection to expand the Centrally-sponsored programme for educationally backward minorities being taken up in Hyderabad, Anantapur, Kurnool, Cuddapah, Medak and Nizamabad districts.

This was stated by the School Education Minister, M. Venkateswara Rao, in the Assembly on Monday while replying to a motion under Rule 304 on the notice given by Asaduddin Owasi and three others of the MIM, regarding low literacy and educational level among Muslim minorities and the steps taken by the Government.

He explained that the programme envisaged construction of 1,810 additional classrooms, provision of drinking water to 966 schools, toilet facilities in 1,317 schools, electricity in 1,230 schools, computers in 214 schools and teaching material in 158 schools.

The Government, Mr. Rao stated, was according top priority to increasing access to schooling in disadvantaged areas and groups, specially linguistic and religious minorities. While there were only 1,311 Urdu medium schools in 1999-2000, the number had nearly doubled over the last three years. There were 2,364 schools today. There were 8,246 teachers working in Urdu medium schools in the State, as many as 2,356 posts had been filled in the last two years and currently 1,654 were being filled.

Also, 912 Urdu medium Vidya volunteers had been engaged in the current year. Recognising the need for providing facilities for teacher training in Urdu medium, the intake capacity in each of the Urdu sections in nine DIETs had been enhanced from 40 to 50. The Government had also sanctioned Urdu medium in DIETs of Medak, Adilabad, Karimnagar and Nellore. Besides, the Government was extending assistance to 284 madarsas under the Centrally-sponsored programme.

Mr. Owaisi demanded steps to promote Urdu and development of Urdu medium schools on a par with other language schools in the State. Akbaruddin Owaisi while charging the Government with neglecting welfare of minorities demanded a Rs.10-crore special package for them.

N. Indrasena Reddy (BJP), N.Narasimhaiah (CPI-M), Younus Sultan (Cong), Chandrasekhar Rao (TRS), N. Raghuveera Reddy and Gaddanna (both Cong.) spoke.

S. Aruna, former TDP Minister, stoutly denied the charge that the Government was neglecting Muslim minorities, while outlining the welfare measures taken over the years.

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