Smart cities later, Bangalore citizens demand basic amenities for starters

While the newly-formed government has promised smart cities in the coming years, the fact is India still lacks basic amenities like toilets for girls in educational institutions. Recently, the Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice Y Bhaskar Rao too, has expressed displeasure over the lack of basic amenities in many state colleges.

"The Lokayukta found that there is a lack of 2,280 class rooms in colleges across the state, while 441 colleges need laboratories. What is even more shocking is that 39 colleges have no toilets for girls, while a whopping 149 have no restroom facilities for girls," Ramachandra Gowda, BJP MLC stated in the legislative council.

Emphasising the need to provide infrastructure at the colleges on priority basis, Gowda said that 236 colleges have compound walls, while more than 100 colleges have no sufficient number of teaching staff.

"More than 300 colleges have no auditorium facilities, while 146 colleges have no playgrounds. 28 colleges require library facilities,'' Gowda added.

Minister for Higher Education RV Deshpande said that education ministry has already prepared a proposal to provide the necessary infrastructure at colleges. "We have sent the proposal to the finance department for allocation of funds. We are waiting for a response from the finance department,'' Deshpande said.

Replying another query from SV Sunkanura, MLC, the minister for higher education said there were 1,298 government first grade colleges in the state. "The government has sanctioned 981 posts of principals and 6,383 posts of professors for these colleges,'' the minister said.