Karna cabinet clears Rs 120 cr for shoes to school children

Karnataka Cabinet today gave administrative approval of Rs 120 crore to distribute shoes and socks to 48 lakh government school students in the state.
The approval is to provide shoes and socks to government school students from class 1 to 10 under the supervision of School Development and Management Committees (SDMCs)for the upcoming academic year, official sources said.
They said rates have been fixed to buy shoes and socks under which for students studying between classes 1-5 it will be Rs 225, 6-8 it will be Rs 250 and 9-10 it will be Rs 275.
Officials said administrative approval of Rs 188 crore has also been given to distribute free bicycles to government and aided school students of class 8th for the year 2016-17.

The cabinet had also decided to extend the term of special investigation team (SIT) constituted in the Karnataka Lokayukta for investigation of illegal mining for further period of one year from January 24 2016.
Administrative approval has been given for modernisation of Shimsha Right Bank Canal at an estimated cost of Rs 28 crore.

Sources said the Cabinet expressed its thanks to outgoing Karnataka Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee whose term is to end by December 31.
Mukherjee, who was to retire on September 30, was given three months extension.
Government is yet to take final decision on who the next Chief Secretary will be. However, according to sources K Ratnaprabha, a 1981 batch officer who is serving as Additional Chief Secretary, Commerce and Industries Department, and S K Pattanayak, a 1982 batch IAS officer serving as Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department are the front runners.

V Umesh, Additional Chief Secretary in the State government, and Arvind Jadhav, Chairman of Karnataka Appellate Tribunal are also in the race.