Date:03/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/06/03/stories/2005060302120300.htm

Karnataka - Bellary

Six schools for girls from this year in Bellary

Staff Correspondent

They will be mainly meant for dropouts

BELLARY: Six residential schools for girls, named after Kasturba Gandhi, will start functioning in Bellary district from this academic year, according to S.N. Jayaram, Deputy Commissioner. The residential schools have been set up in Moka, Bysadigikeri, Kamalapur, Hosahalli, Bommaghatta and Tekkalakota.

Speaking to presspersons here on Thursday, Mr. Jayaram said these schools, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, were set up in rural areas where the literacy rate among women was less than the national average.

They are meant mostly for school dropouts with a view to help them join the main stream. Classes from sixth to eighth would be held in these schools.

According to him, the national average literacy rate among women stood at 46.13 per cent. Except in Hadagali taluk (46.3 per cent), the literacy rate among women in Bellary was 31.48 per cent, Hagari Bommanahalli 45.74, Hospet 34.69, Kudligi 44.84, Sandur 25.32 and Sirguppa 26.91.

To start with the intake would be 100 students each in Bellary and Kudligi, while it would be 50 per school in the other four taluks, he said and added that the strength would be increased depending upon the performances of the schools, he said.

He said the schools were an offshoot of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan with the Union and State Governments shouldering the cost in the ratio of 75:25 up to 2007.

Later, the cost would be shared in the ratio of 50:50. The schools would function temporarily in a rented building and steps were being taken to construct new buildings.

Mahila Samakhya, a non-government organisation, has been entrusted to run three centres — Bellary, Kudligi and Hagari Bommanahalli — while three more would be run by the departments concerned, he said.

Stay order

Mr. Jayaram said the High Court of Karnataka had stayed an order passed by him last month banning the movement of lorries transporting iron ore within the city limits of Bellary between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.