Rajya Sabha Member and Dharmasthala Pattadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade handing over a Smart Class Television to Government Model Higher Primary School at Dharmasthala, on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Rajya Sabha Member and Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Pattadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade, on Saturday, said rural development hinges on the development of schools in villages. As and when government schools in villages become strong, villages too grow stronger.
He was speaking after handing over Smart Class Television sets to 121 government schools in Belthangady taluk, procured at a cost of â‚ą1.5 crore through his MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) Fund, and inaugurating a technical training session for teachers at Dharmasthala.
Mr. Heggade said that smart classes conducted through these TVs would help the overall development of children. He urged teachers to equip themselves to utilise the new facility and to pass on the benefits to their students.
SKDRDP in rural education
Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) executive director S.S. Anil Kumar said the Sri Kshetra, through SKDRDP, has been contributing immensely to improving the rural education system. Basic amenities, including classrooms, playgrounds, drinking water, building repairs, toilets, compound walls, open-air theatres, teaching aids and more have been provided at a cost of â‚ą47.69 crore, so far.
Mr. Heggade, as the president of SKDRDP, has also been allocating guest teachers to needy government schools across the state, and during the current academic year, such teachers were provided for 1,074 schools. So far, the Project has provided 10,351 teachers under the Jnana Deepa Scheme. Also, the Project has provided scholarships worth â‚ą157.39 crore to 1.27 lakh students. Additionally, 75,518 sets of desks and benches were provided to 11,621 government schools so far, Mr. Kumar added.
Belthangady Block Education Officer Thara Kesari and others were present.
Published – February 08, 2026 06:51 pm IST
