K'taka Cabinet appoints Sub-Committee on school recognition issue

Bangalore, Feb 22 (UNI) The Karnataka Cabinet today decided to form a Sub-Committee, headed by Medical Education Minister V S Acharya, to study in detail the violation by private schools to teach in Kannada and submit a report to the Government within a month.

Briefing newspersons after the Cabinet meeting, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti said the Government would decide on the future course of action based on the Sub-Committee's report. He hoped that the issue would be resolved by April first week.

The Government had withdrawn recognition granted to 2,225 schools for alleged violation of the policy of teaching in Kannada from first to fifth standard and instead teaching in English medium. However, the State Government had given time till the completion of the academic year, following widespread protests by parents of school children and requests from school managements.

Mr Horatti said the Cabinet also decided to introduce Konkani as the third language in Kannada script in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts from sixth to tenth standard.

He said a decision on the controversial issue of distributing egg or banana to school children as part of the mid-day meal scheme had been deferred till June.

The Minister said the Cabinet also approved the shifting of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences to a new complex at Ramanagara. Various varsities such as medical, paramedical, dental and pharmacy would also be located in the complex. The Cabinet also approved a proposal to construct a 500-bed super speciality hospital to serve the rural areas. In all, the proposal would involve an investment of Rs 310 crore, he added.

He said the Cabinet also agreed to release Rs 22.5 crore for the Shimoga-Talaguppa broad gauge conversion. The Rs 140- crore project would be completed by 2007-08 with 50 per cent of the cost shared by the Centre.

UNI