In an attempt to introduce some measure of equity in education the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is all set to open Atal Residential Schools where children of labourers are being promised free and quality education.

On Thursday, a state government spokesman said that the Atal Residential Schools are being built at each of the 18 divisional headquarters — Aligarh, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Basti, Bareilly, Chitrakoot, Devipatan, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Mirzapur, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Moradabad, Agra, Saharanpur and Varanasi. This will provide better, equal and accessible education to the underprivileged and deprived sections, claimed the official.

The Public Works Department has been roped in as the executive body and an amount of Rs 180 crore was allocated to them in March 2020 for the construction of the schools. In the current financial year, the state government has allotted a budget of Rs 270 crore for the construction of these schools in a time-bound manner.