Tirupati: Junior colleges to get facelift under Naadu-Nedu

Tirupati: After schools and hospitals, now it is the turn of junior colleges to get a facelift under the 'Naadu-Nedu- programme. The renovation works of junior colleges in the State will start soon.

It was learnt that one junior college from each constituency will be taken up for the purpose. In Chittoor district, 13 colleges are identified out of 14 constituencies for implementing the programme in first phase since there is no junior college in Tirupati constituency.

However, the Chittoor District Vocational Education Officer M Viswanath Naik has said that though 13 junior colleges are identified for now, there is every possibility of extending it to all 62 colleges at one go.

A meeting in this regard may be held next week in which a final decision may be arrived at. He said that the engineering department will prepare estimates which will have several components as in schools.

According to reliable sources, the proposals with Rs 48 crore estimates were submitted already to renovate 13 junior colleges. Among these major chunk of funds will go for construction of additional classrooms.

For this Rs 30.75 crore is proposed. Similarly, for compound walls construction Rs 5.69 crore will be earmarked while repair works will be taken up with Rs 2.78 crore. Toilets will be provided with Rs 3.17 crore, for drinking water facilities Rs 1.02 crore, staff and students furniture – Rs 2.31 crore, building colours – Rs 1.83 crore, for electrification Rs 32.40 lakh among others are proposed to be spent.

It may be recalled that 1,529 government schools are being transformed into modern schools under first phase out of the total 4,700 schools in Chittoor district. For this, the government has allocated Rs 397 crore and the works are in various stages.