Mana Ooru, Mana Badi’ a non-starter as KCR Govt did not release funds: Uttam

Hyderabad, June 11 (Maxim News): Nalgonda MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy today said the much-hyped ‘Mana Ooru, Mana Badi‘ announced by the TRS Govt proved to be another hollow scheme as nothing has been done to improve the conditions of government schools.

“The next academic year is beginning next week and the TRS Govt neither upgraded the schools nor filled any vacancies. A new scheme ‘Mana Ooru, Mana Badi’ was announced in February 2022 to upgrade 9,123 out of over 26,000 schools for Rs 3,497 crore. However, only administrative sanction was accorded through GO No 4 dated February 3, 2022. But it was not approved by the Finance Department. Therefore, the announcement proved to be a hoax as no funds were released or spent for the upgradation of the schools,” he added.

Speaking to media persons, the Congress MP said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao came to power in 2014 on the promise of giving ‘KG to PG’ free education. “After staying in power for eight years, KCR did nothing to fulfil the promise. He is still making promises that his government would upgrade the schools. Through ‘Mana Ooru, Mana Badi’ some schools were upgraded from the funds received through private donations. But the State Govt did not release adequate funds to upgrade the proposed 35% schools in the State,” he said.

The Congress leader said the TRS Govt has been promising English medium education in government schools without filling about 30,000 teachers’ posts. Similarly, no measures were taken to fill the teaching posts in the BEd colleges. Of 166 posts, as many as 152 teaching posts are vacant. Of 538 sanctioned posts of Mandal Education Officers (MEO), only 20 are filled. Of 33 districts, there are District Education Officers (DEOs) for only 10 districts. There are other posts like Principal, Head Master, Attenders and so on remained vacant under the TRS rule.

“TRS Govt had promised to upgrade 12 components in government schools as part of ‘Mana Ooru, Mana Badi’ program. They included toilets with running water facilities; Electrification; Drinking water supply; Furniture for students & staff; Compound walls, etc., TRS party has been in power since 2014 and all the government schools should’ve already had these facilities by now. However, KCR never gave prominence to the education sector as his government gradually brought down the budget allocation on education every year. As against the allocation of 10.89% of total budget for education in 2014-15, KCR Govt reduced it to 9.68% in 2015-16; 8.23% in 2016-17; 8.49% in 2017-18; 7.61% in 2018-19; 6.76% in 2019-20; 6.69% in 2020-21; 6.78% in 2021-22 and it has been reduced to 6.24% in 2022-23. According to a report of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Telangana is on the bottom in the list of 29 States in terms of spending on education,” he said.

Uttam demanded that the TRS Govt release the statistics of targets achieved as part of the ‘Mana Ooru, Mana Badi’ program. “TRS Ministers only inaugurated the schools which were upgraded with private donations or showcased a few other schools in which some facilities were improved. In reality, there has been no change in the condition of government schools since 2014,” he said while adding that lakhs of students would be forced to sit in their old dilapidated buildings with no toilets, electricity, or drinking water supply, furniture and a green chalkboard facility.

The Congress MP said the neglect of the education sector by the TRS Govt hurt SC, ST, BC, minorities and other weaker sections. Non-upgradation of schools has also deprived the farmers of imparting quality education to their children, he alleged. The MP addressed in various villages and thandas under the Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituency as part of the Rachabanda/ Rythu Bharosa Yatra which entered its 20tth day on Saturday. Uttam Kumar Reddy has so far covered 136 villages and two municipalities in five Assembly constituencies out of the proposed 320 villages and three municipalities to be covered in 45 days as part of the Rythu Bharosa Yatra aimed at enlightening the farmers about the Warangal Declaration unveiled by AICC leader Rahul Gandhi. Former MLA N. Padmavathi Reddy also participated in the Yatra. (Maxim News)

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