Telangana to take up programme after schools reopen
The Telangana state government has informed the Centre that it will begin the clean schools campaign only by October 8 owing to the Bathukamma festival holidays. (Photo: DC/File)
Hyderabad: The Narendra Modi government’s grand plans to begin the Swachch Bharat Swachch Vidyalaya campaign on Gandhi Jayanti might lose its sheen in Telangana. Union HRD minister Smriti Irani has already held the broom but it will not be until next month, well after Gandhi Jayanti, that the cleanliness campaign will kick off here.
The Telangana state government has informed the Centre that it will begin the clean schools campaign only by October 8 owing to the Bathukamma festival holidays.
The Centre has centred the Swachch Bharat Swachch Vidyalaya campaign around Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings on hygiene and cleanliness, and for this purpose, wanted most part of the celebrations on Gandhi Jayanti.
The Union HRD ministry had held a meeting with all state education department secretaries on the campaign last week. But earlier this week, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao decided that schools be given 15 days holiday for Bathukamma.
With Telangana schools being closed for Bathukamma festival until the first week of October, celebrations could lose out on the Gandhi aspect. The government has also intimated the Centre that it will take up the campaign only after schools reopen post holidays. A schedule for the campaign, beginning on October 8, has also been finalised.
“The Centre had intimated and held a meeting with all government secretaries last week on this campaign. But after that holidays have been announced. So, there is no issue in taking it up after holidays,” an education department official said.
Even CBSE schools, which have already been advised by CBSE to scrupulously carry out the campaign, could miss out on the celebrations due to the holidays.
The government on Saturday, however, instructed schools to begin the campaign in schools and activities taken up by students have to be video recorded and uploaded on YouTube.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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