Karnataka to build 1,582 toilets in 1,250 govt schools in 2025-26
Synopsis
Karnataka's school education minister has told the state assembly that 1,582 toilets will be built across 1,250 government schools in 2025-26 — with girls' facilities in seven Hirekerur schools only now being considered after initial funds bypassed the constituency entirely. On the same day, the minister faced mid-day meal workers protesting at Freedom Park over unpaid minimum wages.
Key Takeaways
Karnataka will construct 1,582 toilets in 1,250 government schools during 2025-26 under the State Sector Scheme.
An additional 136 toilets have been sanctioned under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka scheme; ₹544 lakh released for this purpose. ₹5.04 crore is available for toilet construction and ₹23.17 crore for classrooms under the State Sector Scheme. ₹48.55 crore sanctioned under the PM SHRI scheme for 216 classrooms in 2025-26.
A proposal to build toilets in nine schools in Hirekerur — including 13 girls' toilets — is under consideration at an estimated cost of ₹30 lakh .
Minister Bangarappa met mid-day meal workers protesting at Freedom Park and confirmed he is a member of the Cabinet sub-committee on minimum wage revision.
The Karnataka government will construct 1,582 toilets across 1,250 government schools in the state during 2025-26 under the State Sector Scheme, School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, 20 August. The minister was responding to a question raised during Question Hour by Hirekerur constituency Congress MLA U.B. Banakar.
Funds Allocated for School Infrastructure
Minister Bangarappa outlined the financial breakdown for the ongoing academic year. Under the State Sector Scheme, ₹5.04 crore remains available for toilet construction, while ₹23.17 crore has been earmarked for classroom construction. Separately, ₹544 lakh has been released under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka scheme for toilet construction in 2025-26.
An additional 136 toilets have been sanctioned under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka scheme for the same year. Under the centrally-backed PM SHRI scheme, ₹48.55 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of 216 classrooms during 2025-26.
Hirekerur Constituency: A Delayed Priority
The minister acknowledged that government schools in the Hirekerur Assembly constituency were initially excluded from toilet funding because priority was given to schools with larger student enrolments. However, the government is now considering utilising remaining funds to build toilets in nine schools in the constituency.
The proposal covers two boys' toilet units in two schools and 13 girls' toilets in seven schools. Each unit is estimated at ₹2 lakh, placing the total projected cost at ₹30 lakh. Bangarappa said the proposal would be examined in accordance with applicable rules before a final decision is taken.
Minister Meets Mid-Day Meal Workers
In a separate development on the same day, Minister Bangarappa met representatives of the State Akshara Dasoha Mid-Day Meal Preparers' Union at his office in Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru. The workers have been staging a protest at Freedom Park, demanding minimum wages and a higher lump-sum payment.
Union president Honnappa Maremmannavar led the delegation that submitted a formal list of demands. The minister assured workers of his support, stating: 'I will always stand with the Mid-Day Meal workers of the state. As the son of former Chief Minister the late S. Bangarappa, I am ready to help all of you.'
Cabinet Sub-Committee on Minimum Wages
Bangarappa confirmed that a Cabinet sub-committee has been constituted to revise minimum wage rates for mid-day meal workers, and that he is a member of it. 'A Cabinet sub-committee has been constituted to revise minimum wage rates, and I am also a member of it. I am certainly aware of the problems faced by Mid-Day Meal workers. You are part of the government system and you are also taking care of our children. I have sympathy for you. It is my duty to respond to your difficulties,' the minister said.
He assured the delegation that the government would provide all possible assistance within the framework of its rules. The outcome of the sub-committee's deliberations is expected to determine whether the workers' wage demands are met in full or in part.
Point of View
582 toilets across 1,250 schools sounds substantial, but the Hirekerur episode reveals a structural flaw in how funds are prioritised: schools in smaller or less-enrolled constituencies are routinely deprioritised, and equity catches up only when an MLA raises the issue on the assembly floor. The fact that girls' toilets in seven schools are still at the 'proposal under consideration' stage — not sanctioned — underscores how slowly last-mile school sanitation moves in Karnataka. Meanwhile, mid-day meal workers protesting at Freedom Park for minimum wages represent a parallel accountability gap: the state employs them as de facto government workers but has not formalised their wage entitlements, a contradiction the Cabinet sub-committee must resolve with a deadline, not just sympathy.
NationPress
20 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many toilets will Karnataka build in government schools in 2025-26?
Karnataka will construct 1,582 toilets across 1,250 government schools during 2025-26 under the State Sector Scheme, as announced by School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa in the Legislative Assembly on 20 August. An additional 136 toilets have been sanctioned under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka scheme.
How much money has Karnataka allocated for school toilet construction?
Under the State Sector Scheme, ₹5.04 crore is available for toilet construction in 2025-26. Separately, ₹544 lakh has been released under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka scheme for the same purpose.
Why were Hirekerur constituency schools left out of initial toilet funding?
Minister Bangarappa explained that priority was initially given to schools with higher student enrolments, which meant Hirekerur constituency schools were not included in the first round of sanctions. The government is now considering a proposal to use remaining funds to build toilets in nine schools there, at an estimated cost of ₹30 lakh.
What is the PM SHRI scheme allocation for Karnataka schools?
₹48.55 crore has been sanctioned under the PM SHRI scheme during 2025-26 for the construction of 216 classrooms in Karnataka government schools.
What did Minister Bangarappa say to mid-day meal workers?
Bangarappa met representatives of the State Akshara Dasoha Mid-Day Meal Preparers' Union at Vidhana Soudha and assured them of his support. He confirmed he is a member of the Cabinet sub-committee constituted to revise minimum wage rates, and pledged to do 'everything possible' to address their demands within government rules.
