The State government has instructed the Education Department to initiate the long-pending recruitment process to fill 5,267 vacant posts of teachers in the Kalyana Karnataka for addressing the shortage of teachers and to help improve SSLC results in the seven districts of the region, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said.

He was addressing a gathering after hoisting the National Flag at the District Armed Reserve Parade Grounds in Kalaburagi on Wednesday on the occasion of Kalyana Karnataka Utsav.

Emphasising his commitment to strengthening the education sector in the region, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) has spent nearly ₹6,000 crore in two years for providing infrastructure and basic amenities for schools and residential hostels under the Akshara Aavishkara programme. The State government has also launched special coaching classes for students to boost SSLC results, he added.

A sum of ₹406 crore has been allocated for constructing backward classes hostels and ₹48 crore for establishing 15 pre-university colleges for women in the region, he added.

Regional health hub

Reiterating the State government's commitment to transforming Kalaburagi district into a premier regional health hub, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the KKRDB has allocated ₹1,797 crore to improve healthcare facilities in the region. This includes construction of a government super-specialty hospital being established at a cost of ₹163 crore, an extension building for the Kidwai hospital at a cost of ₹72 crore and a 200-bed mother and child hospital estimated at ₹90 crore.

Besides these, a sum of ₹100 crore has been allocated for establishing an institution modelled on NIMHANS in Kalaburagi, ₹221 crore has been provided for a unit of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health and ₹50 crore for starting a regional endocrinology centre.

The State government has also allocated ₹50 crore for establishing a Kidwai Peripheral Cancer Treatment unit at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital in Raichur and a sum of ₹18 crore for constructing nursing colleges in Yelburga (Koppal), Jewargi (Kalaburagi) and in Yadgir district.

The Chief minister said that the State government is expecting grants from the Union government to implement the integrated multi-village drinking water project for all rural areas in Kalaburagi and Bidar districts at a cost of ₹7,200 crore and accused the latter of failing to release funds for the purpose.

Industrial sector

To promote entrepreneurship and give a boost to the industrial sector in districts other than Bengaluru, the State government will launch a local economy accelerator programme and help establish at least 500 start-ups by 2030 with an allocation of ₹1,000 crore, besides allocating ₹200 crore for the development of small scale industries in Kalaburagi district, he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah added that the government is spending ₹138 crore for constructing Praja Soudha in 16 new taluks of Kalyana Karnataka.

515 anganwadis

The KKRDB will construct 515 new anganwadi centres with an estimated cost of ₹118 crore under a 50:50 with the Women and Child Welfare Department. The board will also construct 400 public toilets exclusively for women in rural areas at a cost of ₹100 crore.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the government is committed to developing tourism and historical sites in the region for which a sum of ₹100 crore has been allocated. As much as ₹313 crore has been sanctioned for the Archaeology Museum and Heritage Department for the conservation of eight historical and ancient monuments located in the region.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge, Minister for Urban Development Byrathi Suresh, KKRDB Chairman Ajay Singh, legislators, Regional Commissioner Zaheera Naseem, Deputy Commissioner Fauzia Tarannum and other officials were present.

Education Department told to fill 5,267 vacant teacher posts in Kalyana Karnataka, says CM