Govt schools in AP to be upgraded to 4-star levels: Lokesh

Vijayawada: IT and HRD minister Nara Lokesh on Tuesday told the assembly that GO 117, issued during the YSRCP regime between 2019 and 2024, pushed poor children away from govt schools. Responding to a question from Palasa MLA Gouthu Sireesha, who alleged irregularities in Nadu-Nedu and sought early completion of unfinished school buildings and classrooms, Lokesh said the NDA govt revoked the order after coming to power, as promised before the elections.Informing that 233 schools were closed even after the Nadu-Nedu programme was launched earlier, he said the one-class-one-teacher system is essential for improving learning outcomes. "Only 3% of schools had the system earlier, and the proportion has now increased to 33%. The govt has identified five priority areas for infrastructure — leak-proof buildings, painting, benches, toilets, and drinking water. Nearly 40% of govt schools fall in the 1-star or 2-star categories, and the target is to bring all schools to 3-star or 4-star levels," Lokesh said.He further said ₹200 crore is available in SMC accounts, while the budget has provided an additional ₹800 crore, enabling nearly ₹1,000 crore to be spent on school infrastructure next year. He also said that steps will be taken to clear pending bills relating to works executed between 2014 and 2019. Energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar, replying to a question posed by former minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy on the demand for a uniform electricity subsidy, said the coalition govt is supplying power to aqua farmers at Rs 1.5 per unit, as against the Rs 3.85 per unit tariff derived by the APERC. Noting that the govt is bearing a cost of Rs 2.35 per unit to support aqua farmers, he said the previous 10-acre limit under the earlier aquaculture zone policy was removed to extend benefits to more farmers.Answering another question posed by Jana Sena MLA Lokam Naga Madhavi, Ravi Kumar informed the House that the NDA govt sanctioned 50,000 additional connections, taking the total number of beneficiaries to 5.21 lakh. "The govt sanctioned Rs 1 crore for each district under APEPDCL to take necessary steps to prevent electrical accidents," he said, and urged local bodies not to give permission for construction of houses in areas where electrical lines are passing through. He said most safety risks stem from houses constructed after power lines were erected. The govt is giving priority to prevent electrical accidents, he said, noting that incidents also occurred during harvesting in palm-oil plantations.