The labour department of Karnataka, through the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, has decided to provide school kits valued at Rs 8,736 or more to children of registered construction workers across the state. The department had previously identified approximately 1.3 lakh beneficiaries, bringing the total estimated cost of procurement and distribution of these kits to a staggering Rs 115.8 crore. The proposal received cabinet approval last week.
Revival After Scam Allegations
This scheme, which had been discontinued following allegations of inflated procurement costs and a reported scam in 2021 during the tenure of the BJP government, is now being revived. Each kit will include 23 items, ranging from comic books in Kannada and English to grammar textbooks, thermos flasks, and play dough for younger children. The kits will be tailored to suit different age groups, covering students from Classes 1 to 12, and categorised into primary, middle, and high school levels.
Quality Assurance Measures
To ensure quality, the department plans to seek a 4(g) exemption, which bypasses the tender process, mandating that only 'lekhak' brand books be supplied. Labour minister Santosh Lad stated that the decision to relaunch the scheme follows requests from multiple stakeholders. 'While we were against supplying these school kits, BJP legislators and trade unions wrote to us seeking a relaunch of the scheme,' Lad said. 'So, we have decided to supply these kits through Mysore Sales International Ltd (MSIL), which is independent of the labour department.'
Cost and Distribution
Lad noted that the welfare board will bear the full cost of procurement, while MSIL will handle the tendering process. 'Implementation of the scheme calls for a balance of quality and cost effectiveness, which MSIL is capable of ensuring,' said the minister. Officials from MSIL and the welfare board said the pricing has been determined based on annual requirements for students. 'Costs for some of the items may seem high but that is due to the multiple number of same items as well as ensuring quality of products since they must last the entire year,' said officials.
For example, comic books for Classes 1 to 5 are priced at Rs 895 for a set of 10 books in Kannada, English, or both. Similarly, pens priced at Rs 90 per box of 10 are being supplied in multiples, raising the per-child cost to Rs 179 for middle school students and Rs 268 for high school students.
