Government can consider setting up schools within Defence and Estate lands controlled by the Defence Ministry and the Secunderabad Cantonment Board. Sriganesh Narayanan Secunderabad Cantonment MLA 

How are these schools different?

■ Offer English-medium education from 5th to 12th standard

■ Comprise digital libraries, smart classrooms, computer labs

■ Playgrounds, open-air theatres

Mahesh Avadhutha | Hyderabad 

Tenders for the construction of three Young India Integrated Residential Schools in Kodangal, Madhira, and Huzurnagar would be finalized within weeks. The designs for these schools have already been approved. Notably, they are located in constituencies represented by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy (Kodangal), Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka (Madhira), and Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy (Huzurnagar).

This initiative, a flagship project of the Congress government, aims to build residential schools spanning 20 to 25 acres in each assembly segment across the state. As a pilot phase, the first three schools will serve as a model, with additional campuses being constructed in a phased manner.

The foundation stones for 30 such large-scale government-run schools were laid on October 11, 2023, during Dussehra festival. The Telangana Education and Welfare Infrastructure and Development Corporation has been entrusted with overseeing the construction of these schools.

Lands finalized in 54 segments

In parallel, the government has identified suitable land for establishing these schools in 54 assembly constituencies. Local district collectors, in coordination with MLAs, have been actively finalizing locations. For instance, in the Mancherial segment, the school will be built in Rebbanpalle village in Dandepally mandal, approximately 35 km from Mancherial town. Mancherial MLA K Premsagar Rao proactively scouted for different locations in his segment and zeroed in on the Rebbanpalle village.

Gurukul school students too can join

These schools are expected to attract fresh enrollments, with students from existing government residential and Gurukul schools also given the opportunity to transfer. Currently, the majority of residential schools’ function from rental or private spaces—typically three to four-story buildings—lacking essential amenities such as playgrounds.

One final push

■ Tenders for the construction of three key schools in Kodangal, Madhira, and Huzurnagar set to be finalized within weeks

■ The designs for these schools have already been approved

■ Residential schools spanning 20 to 25 acres in each assembly segment

■ The foundation stones for 30 such large-scale government-run schools were laid on October 11, 2023

■ Land identified in 54 assembly constituencies

Challenges of uniformity

The aim of the government is to establish schools on 20 to 25 acres of land but the state capital lacks large land parcels. Most of the 15 assembly segments in Hyderabad—including Musheerabad, Malakpet, Amberpet, Khairatabad, Jubilee Hills, Sanath Nagar, Nampally, Karwan, Goshamahal, Charminar, Chandrayangutta, Yakutpura, Bahadurpura.

Secunderabad and Secunderabad Cantonment are relatively better placed, thanks to open spaces under the jurisdiction of Railways and the Defence Ministry. Meanwhile, Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts are better suited for the project, than Hyderabad.