KIIFB to back 37 hi-tech schools

Thiruvananthapuram: The third meeting of the KIIFB director board held here on Wednesday approved upgradation of 37 government schools into hi-tech institutions.

All school upgradation projects under KIIFB, unlike other infrastructure projects, will be carried out in a ‘public private partnership’ mode.  Of the total project cost of Rs 344.29 crore, KIIFB will provide just 32 per cent or Rs 110.33. The rest of the money, will be mobilised from the public. The meeting also granted approval for road improvement and rail overbridge works worth Rs 438.70 crore, all funded by KIIFB.

Together with the projects granted approval in the first two meetings, KIIFB has now sanctioned infrastructure projects worth Rs 12,512 crore. KIIFB, however, expects an outgo of only Rs 5,000 crore this fiscal because some of the projects granted sanction will spill over into the next year and even the year after next.

Nearly 50 schools submitted proposals for upgradation. However, after a rigorous vetting by the KIIFB team, only 37 were picked.

For education projects, the KIIFB money will be provided only for infrastructure, say for the construction of a library or a new building. For the other requirements, like books for the proposed library, or new furniture for the new building or even a park, the school will have to mobilise money from the public. “The strategy is to evolve local-level ownership for the school,” the finance department source said.