Mangaluru: The residential schools and other educational institutions run by the Minorities Department are functioning in rented buildings as they have no proper infrastructure in Dakshina Kannada districts.
Though these educational institutions are allotted their own land, no efforts have been made to construct buildings. According to the sources, three educational institutions in Mangaluru taluk are under the supervision of the Minorities Department - Muslim Residential School for boys in Natekal in Manjanady village, Minority Pre-University College in Natekal, Manjanady and Minority Morarji Desai Girls Residential School in Deralakatte. Though these three educational institutions are functioning well, they all work out of rented buildings.
Surprisingly, around five acres of land was allotted to all these educational institutions at Asaigoli.
According to sources in the department, five acres was allotted to construct Muslim Residential School at Asaigoli in Manjanady in 2002 but no building has been constructed. There are 65 boys in the school but they do not have basic facilities. Initially, the school was under the supervision of Karnataka Residential Educational Institution Society (KREIS), which was not keen on constructing the building. However, the Minorities Department later took the responsibility of the school.
Conditions are similar at Morarji Desai Residential School in Deralakatte. Though this residential school shelters 153 students, there are not enough toilets and bathrooms. This school was also allotted land for its own building near Mangaluru University in Konaje.
District Minorities Welfare Officer Usman told reporters that the proposal of a new building for Muslim Residential School in Asaigoli has been sent to the government. As the project cost is more than Rs 5 crore, it needs the Cabinet’s approval. Once they received approval, the construction work would start. A proposal to construct new buildings for PU College and Morarji Desai residential school is also under process, he said.