Job Calendar by Ugadi: Lokesh

VIJAYAWADA: With Ugadi fast approaching, education minister Nara Lokesh on Monday announced that the state government would release a comprehensive job calendar aimed at recruiting teachers and other staff.

“We have appointed 16,000 new teachers over the past year and are working diligently to finalise the mega job calendar before Ugadi,” he said, adding that vertical and horizontal reservations would be duly implemented.

Replying to the questions in the state assembly, Lokesh said admissions in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) in Andhra Pradesh were among the highest in the country. Girl students were ably competing with boys for seats following significant improvement in academic results over the past two years.

The KGBV programme, he noted, is a centrally sponsored scheme with 60 per cent funding from the Centre and 40 per cent from the state.

Any decision on salary enhancement or policy changes must therefore be taken jointly. “We are consulting the Union Gvernment to enhance the budget allocations,” he said, adding that Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan had positively responded to this plea.

Nearly 11,000 staff members work under the KGBV system. Salary revisions can be considered only after approval from the Project Approval Board (PAB). The matter is also under review before the high court. Despite paying higher salaries compared to many other states, the AP government has sought increased central support and would continue the follow-up, Lokesh said.

On recruitment, the minister said the forthcoming job calendar would include teacher posts and factor in vertical and horizontal reservations. Adjustments in line with the latest Presidential order on zonal re-notification and re-unification were also being worked out, with all departments coordinating to meet the Ugadi deadline.

Responding to a query from Vizianagaram MLA Aditi Gajapathiraju, Lokesh announced that infrastructure development and work on additional buildings at MRVGR Polytechnic College would be taken up next year. He underscored the importance of polytechnics, ITIs and degree colleges alongside engineering institutions, especially as the state now attracted major industrial investments.

“With projects such as Data City, Pharma City, Steel City and Medical Devices City proposed for North Andhra, the government is focusing on cluster-based development through vertical and horizontal integration. While vertical integration ensures ancillary industries grow alongside major units, horizontal integration aims to design industry-relevant courses, strengthen infrastructure and create market linkages,” Lokesh stated.

He added, “Established in 1982 with land donated by the Gajapathiraju family, the Vizianagaram polytechnic now requires urgent repairs. Proposals worth `1.10 crore have been prepared. The earlier construction plans estimated at `8 crore have risen to `10 crore.”

The government, he said, will review and resume the pending works, prioritising backward districts and exploring central and CSR support to strengthen educational infrastructure.