MLC DS Arun, from Shivamogga district in Karnataka, has said that as the government schools with smart classes were unable to pay electric bills for the last two years, a rule was passed in the Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting that the city corporation has to pay the electricity bills of such schools.
In a press release, Arun said that under the Smart City Mission, a total of 45 government schools were provided with smart class facilities at a cost of Rs 6.5 crore. Under the scheme, digital classrooms, computers, printers, projectors, laptops, UPS batteries and other required equipment were given to these schools and school teachers were provided training in smart class facilities as well.
Arun added that while these facilities were being used efficiently in all schools the teachers were struggling to pay the electricity bills of their schools for the last two years. "In the recent KDP meeting, the issue was discussed and, as a result, it was decided that the city corporation has to pay the monthly electricity bills of these schools," Arun added.
The MLC noted that the implementation of the smart classrooms project was unscientific since the schools had not been upgraded from single phase electricity supply to three phase electricity supply. "This shows the negligence of officials. All equipment like computers, printers, projectors, laptops, UPS batteries and others will be charged 24x7," he said. Hence, the district in-charge minister has directed the officials of the Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (MESCOM) to initiate immediate measures to upgrade such schools from single-phase electricity supply to three-phase electricity supply.
