Belgaum: In a development welcomed by Kannada organisations and MLA Ramesh L. Kudachi (Congress), the Belgaum Urban Development Authority (BUDA) has gifted open lands worth Rs. 2 crore for establishment of new Kannada medium schools in different parts of the city.

Mr. Kudachi and District Kannada Organisations Action Committee president Ashok Chandargi have thanked BUDA Commissioner D.B. Nayak for the gesture. Recently, Mr. Nayak had promised the Kannada organisations of providing land free of cost to start new Kannada medium schools in response to the demand by the committee.

The Commissioner handed over the land titles to the Education Department here on Saturday. The sites of the schools are located in Ramteerthnagar, Kuvempunagar, Sahayadrinagar, Doordarshannagar, Rukmininagar and other areas.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kudachi said it was for the first time that the Government had spent money for opening new Kannada medium schools and on repairs of the old school buildings.

Pointing out that there were only three Government Kannada medium middle schools in the city, he insisted for opening more number of schools.

Mr. Chandargi expressed gratitude to Mr. Nayak for implementing his promise within eight days of the representation made by the committee.

He regretted the "indifferent" attitude of the Belgaum City Corporation where Deputy Commissioner Shalini Rajneesh is the Administrator for not making any provision for improvement/repair of Kannada medium schools in its Rs. 25-crore plan for "beautification" of the city as part of the International Kannada Meet.

The city corporation should have allocated at least Rs. 5 crore to improve the infrastructure and carry out repairs to Kannada schools.

Those present at the meeting included Ms. Rajneesh, BCC Commissioner M.S. Channappagoudar and Kannada and DSS activists.

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