'Open kindergarten in government schools'

Kannada Sahitya Parishat district president Lokesh Sagar has urged the government to initiate measures to start preschool education, especially kindergarten in government schools.

Addressing reporters in Madikeri on Wednesday, he said that kindergarten should be opened in all government schools of the state and a sufficient number of teachers should be appointed in primary schools.

He alleged that the bicycles distributed to the students of government colleges are of poor quality. Within three months, the bicycles are turning into scrap.

“Instead of investing on bicycles, the government should introduce school buses to ferry children in government schools,” he added.

The Kannada Sahitya Parishat has been urging the government from the past several years to take up measures to install Kannada signboards in government departments, private establishments and shops.

Ironically, more English signboards are seen in government departments. Due to the consistent fight by the Parishat, the Forest Department has now installed signboards in Kannada, he said.

Lokesh Sagar further alleged that BSNL has been insulting Kannadigas by not providing Kannada songs as caller tunes, even though the highest number of BSNL consumers are in Karnataka.

“There is no option to choose Kannada songs as caller tunes,” he added.

The Sahitya Parishat members will stage a protest in front of the BSNL office in Madikeri if the telecom operators do not provide the facility within two weeks.

Parishat members Kodi Chandrashekhar, Krishnegowda and Ashwath Kumar were present.