Chief minister J. Jayalalithaa has ordered the construction of buildings for 148 hostels for backward, most backward and de-notified tribe students across the state at the cost of Rs61.12 crore and also equip the structures with solar panels.
Apart from according administrative sanction for constructing the hostels to accommodate students, the chief minister also granted Rs3.35 crore for setting up solar panels on such buildings.
According to a release here on Monday, 69 BC and MBC hostels with strength of 50 students and 15 with a strength of 100 students functioning in private premises would be covered under the scheme, in the first phase.
The land for the buildings have been identified and the construction would begin soon. These hostels have been functioning from rented buildings.
Ms Jayalalithaa gave the nod for upgrading nine government-run middle schools into high schools in Theni, Madurai and Dindigul districts.
This would benefit students of Kallar, belonging to the de-notified community (DNC). “Due to up-gradation of these schools, the posts of 24 graduate teachers, 27 postgraduate teachers, 3 junior assistants and 3 lab assistant will be created. The government will spend Rs1.39 crore for this annually,” the release added.
Only last week, the chief minister had inaugurated seven students hostels built by the backward, most backward and minorities welfare department at various districts including Karur, Tiruvallur and Madurai, at the cost of Rs3.51 crore. Last year, Ms Jayalalithaa had ordered the construction of buildings for Adi Dravida hostels at 42 places in the state.