Under criticism for denying Kollur Mookambika temple grants to two schools managed by Sri Rama Vidya Kendra Trust in Bantwal taluk, B. Ramanath Rai, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, said on Monday that primary students in those schools can get midday meals by joining nearby government schools.
The government had withdrawn the grants to Sri Rama Vidya Kendra, Kalladkka, and Sri Devi Vidya Kendra, Punacha, managed by the trust in Bantwal taluk through an order on July 31. The grant was towards midday meals, uniforms and textbooks. The trust is backed by RSS leader Kalladkka Prabhakara Bhat.
Addressing presspersons here on Monday, Mr. Rai said that the primary school sections in two schools do not get government aid while the high school sections do. “For those in high schools, midday meals will be arranged if the management makes a demand,” he said, and added that parents of students in primary schools can get their children admitted to government schools for the meals.
“It’s not me but Mr. Bhat who should be blamed for the denial of midday meals. Several years ago, it was he (Mr. Bhat) who wrote to the government refusing grant for food,” Mr. Rai said.
Grants given by Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, also a muzarai temple, to about 20 schools have been withdrawn similarly, as per the decision of State’s dharmika parishad. A long process is involved before the decision is taken to withdraw the grant, he said.
It was the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government which had granted the funds to schools violating the law, the Minister said, alleging that the two schools managed by the trust were sowing the seeds of communalism among students and not imparting quality education. The trust has misappropriated the temple fund.
Mr. Rai said an inquiry should be conducted on how the funds were spent. Action should be taken against teachers of the two schools for prompting students to stage a protest against the government on August 11 on B.C. Road.
“These teachers (from the secondary schools) are forgetting that the salary they are drawing is from State government and not from the trust,” he said.
The Minister accused the trust of using the issue to raise funds from actors, industrialists and corporate houses to compensate the loss of grants to the schools. He also accused the trust of encroaching upon government land for their schools.
On senior Congress leader B. Janardhana Poojary criticising him over the issue, Mr. Rai said Mr. Poojary appeared to be unaware of the facts.
