KKRDB chairman Ajay Singh speaking at a board meeting in Kalaburagi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

In a significant step towards improving school education in Kalyana Karnataka, as many as 50 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), in addition to the 100 sanctioned by the government, will be established in the region, said Dr. Ajay Singh, Chairperson of Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB).

Addressing a media conference after a KKRDB meeting at its headquarters in Kalaburagi on Saturday (May 10, 2025), he said that the KKRDB and the State government will provide ₹100 crore each for the additional schools.

“As many as 100 KPS are currently being built by the State government across the seven districts of the region, each at a cost of ₹4 crore. The supplementary 50 schools will be established with support from the KKRDB and the government as well. The initiative is intended to offer quality education to underprivileged children in rural areas with the establishment of premier schools that could surpass private institutions even at the Gram Panchayat level,” Dr. Singh said.

Action plans

On the question of KKRDB’s failure to utilise the entire amount sanctioned to it for development projects, Dr. Singh clarified that a record ₹3,145 crore of the ₹5,000 crore was spent in the previous fiscal year.

“This year, we aim to fully utilise the entire allocation of ₹5,000 crore. The board meeting also approved the formulation of micro and macro action plans for the ₹5,000 crore grant allocated by the State government for the 2025–26 financial year. To promote transparency, the board has resolved that more than 50% of the project work should not be awarded to non-tendering agencies,” Dr. Singh said.

Pointing to the allocation of 25% of the annual budget of the KKRDB for the development of education through various programmes including Akshara Avishkar over the past two years, Dr. Singh said that the meeting unanimously decided to continue the programmes in the current year also.

“The State government has announced several key health infrastructure projects to Kalyana Karnataka, including a health facility similar to National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, (NIMHANS) and an Institute of Diabetology in Kalaburagi, cancer hospitals in Raichur and Bidar, and a super-speciality hospital in Koppal. The meeting has decided to provide required funds for these projects. The board also decided to provide ₹100 crore to support MSME development in the region. Recognising the low forest cover across the seven districts of Kalyana Karnataka, the board has partnered with the Forest Department to initiate a major afforestation drive. Under a 50:50 cost-sharing arrangement, extensive sapling plantation will be undertaken to increase green cover,” Dr. Singh said.

Dr. Singh said that the board decided to provide ₹1,500 crores, as announced in the State budget and decided by the Cabinet, to various development projects to be taken up by different government departments in the region, including  ₹125 crore for projects in Health Department.

“We are expecting ₹125 crore or more funds from the government also for implementing these projects,” he said.

Other major decisions made in the meeting included the construction of tanks, check-dams, and bunds at a cost of ₹100 crore to increase the groundwater recharge, establishment of a mega dairy in Kalaburagi at an estimated cost of ₹50 crore.

Also present at the press conference were Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, Small Scale Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Sharanabasappa Darshanapur, Medical Education Minister Dr. Sharanprakash Patil, KKRDB Secretary M. Sunderesh Babu, and Additional Commissioner of the School Education Department Dr. Akash S.