Government to improve school facilities in Naxal affected districts

To improve educational facilities in 35 Naxal affected districts, government has prepared a multi-pronged strategy that includes setting up of secondary schools, girls hostels and reconstruction of buildings damaged by extremists.
         
The HRD ministry has accorded top priority to these districts under the new schemes like Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Model Schools and the Girls' Hostel Programme.
          
Under RMSA, which aims at universalising secondary education in the country by 2020, as many as 384 schools have been approved for the Naxal affected districts in 2009-10.
         
Similarly, under Model School Programme, 32 schools out of 327 sanctioned in 2009-10 are located in these districts.
   
Another 21 model schools are also proposed to be set up in the seven Naxal affected districts of Chhattisgarh. 44 girls' hostels have been sanctioned for these districts.
        
The government has put them under Special Focus Districts under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and is giving more funds for creation of new primary schools, maintenance of existing infrastructure and providing other facilities in schools.
        
The expenditure on construction activity can be upto 50% of the total funds allocated under SSA in these districts.