Proposals for KVs get lukewarm response

Although two years have passed by after the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) unveiled a plan to set up Kendriya Vidyalayas in all Lok Sabha constituencies, proposals for such schools in ‘civil sector’ have seemingly not taken off in quite a few districts in the Central region.

In the Tiruchi cluster encompassing the central districts, there are only eight Kendriya Vidyalayas: three in Tiruchi district, and one each in Perambalur, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Karaikal, and Karakudi. The proposals appear to have not taken off in Pudukottai, Nagapattinam, Karur and Ariyalur districts.

With effect from 2016-17, the quota per MP under the Special Dispensation Scheme for admission in Kendriya Vidyalayas was increased from six to 10. Hence, the MPs, on their part are keenly pursuing the proposals with the district administration, but the response of the official machinery has not been encouraging in these districts, it is learnt.

In the case of Pudukottai, Member of Parliament P. Kumar says he has taken up the matter with the district administration on quite a few occasions and the district administration has to take the initiative. Nagapattinam Lok Sabha MP K. Gopal said he had already forwarded a proposal and that the district administration was in the process of identifying temporary buildings and a site for permanent location of the school.

The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan is prepared to consider proposals of departments of Central ministries, State governments, and union territories to start new schools only if the land is provided free of cost. The area has to be four acres in metropolitan cities, eight acres in hilly and urban areas, and ten acres in semi-urban and rural areas. Besides, a provision for residential accommodation of at least 50 per cent of staff must be made by the sponsoring authority, which also has to make available temporary accommodation free of cost or on nominal rent till the KVS constructs its own building on the land provided.

New KVs are permitted in the campus of GoI undertaking if it agrees to bear the recurring and non-recurring expenditure including accommodation, land and future development facilities as also the proportionate overhead charges. The Central University of Tamil Nadu at Tiruvarur has started a KV in its campus on this basis. The school is functioning in a temporary building and land has been made available for construction of permanent buildings.

The KVS has the flexibility to complete construction of the building five to seven years after the land transfer. In the meantime, the temporary facility must have at least 20 rooms, which can accommodate at least 40 students per section. Initially classes from I to V with two sections will be opened, and some of the rooms are meant to accommodate the Principal’s room, Staff room, Library room, Vidyalaya office and accommodation for other miscellaneous activities of the Vidyalaya.

The rest of the rooms are a provision for sequential expansion of the the school during next few years until the new buildings are constructed.

It is on this basis that the Kendriya Vidyalayas at Perambalur and Ponmalai were started in recent years.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/proposals-for-kvs-get-lukewarm-response/article21043253.ece
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