Khammam: Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy on Thursday announced that a total of Rs 497 crore has been sanctioned for the development of education infrastructure in the Palair Assembly constituency over the past 19 months.

During his visit to Tirumalayapalem and Nelakondapalli mandals, the Minister participated in a series of public welfare events, including the distribution of bicycles to girl students of Zilla Parishad High Schools at Pindiprolu and Bodulabanda, under the aegis of the PSR Trust. District Collector Anudeep Durishetty joined the Minister during the distribution at Pindiprolu.

The Minister stated that the initiative aims to curb dropout rates among girl students, particularly in rural areas where access to schools remains a challenge. He noted that bicycles had already been distributed last year to girls studying in classes 8 to 10, and the scheme was being extended this year to new entrants into Class 8.

On Thursday, 92 bicycles were distributed in Tirumalayapalem and 81 in Nelakondapalli. “Education should never be a privilege for the few. It is a right for every child, regardless of their economic background,” said Minister Ponguleti. “This government is committed to strengthening public education, which was previously neglected,” he added.

The Minister detailed major education infrastructure projects currently underway in Palair constituency, including a JNTU Engineering College, Young India Integrated Gurukul Schools, a new ITI centre with a hostel in Tirumalayapalem, and the Kusumanchi Junior College. Calling upon teachers to take initiative, the Minister urged headmasters and school faculty to actively work to eliminate dropouts and improve enrolment in government schools. He also appealed to students to recognize the sacrifices made by their parents and to strive for academic excellence.

Speaking at the event, Durishetty lauded the PSR Trust initiative and said that scientific studies have shown dropout rates increase significantly from Class 8, particularly among girls. He attributed this to the burden of travel to distant schools, and expressed hope that providing bicycles would address this issue effectively.

He directed education officials to ensure immediate distribution of pending uniforms, workbooks, and textbooks, which the government had already made available from the first day of the academic year. He also spoke about the rollout of AI labs in schools to raise foundational learning outcomes and encouraged submission of development proposals from institutions that need additional support. Later, the Minister inspected the kitchen shed and mid-day meal quality at the Pindiprolu ZPHS school, stressing the importance of serving nutritious food according to the prescribed menu. He also urged officials to encourage participation in sports and physical education.At Bodulabanda, Minister Ponguleti distributed cheques to 25 beneficiaries under the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme and planted a sapling in the school premises as part of the event.