Karnataka   

Hit by problems Ground truth

Fund-starved: A view of the science centre.

The Chitradurga Science Centre, established over a decade ago, has been functioning without adequate financial aid and government support.

Set up in two small rooms, the centre located opposite Guru Bhavan in Chitradurga, is being run by a charitable organisations and some volunteers.

“The objective of the centre was to develop scientific temper among people, especially among children. Though, for the past 20 years we have been organising science awareness programmes, it is only a decade ago that we set up an office,” said secretary of the centre M.R. Dase Gowda.

He said that the centre has been regularly conducting science and environment awareness programmes in schools with the help of over 50 teachers, who are working as volunteers for the centre.

But owing to lack of funds, the centre is not in a position to purchase better science equipment and organise practical sessions for the children on various subjects. Mr. Dase Gowda said that from the Government, the centre receives Rs. 25,000 annually for holding awareness programmes, but a substantial share goes towards making payment of staff and upkeep of the centre.

He said that the centre has been demanding the Government to raise the funds and allot more land for better functioning of the centre. “The two rooms belong to the Government Middle School. It was essentially a kitchen and we got it converted into science laboratory,” he stated.

Mr. Dase Gowda said that the former Minister Basavaraj Horatti, during his stint as Minister of Information Technology, had proposed a plan to establish Sub-regional Science Centres (SRSCs) in various districts, including Chitradurga. The project cost was estimated at Rs. 2 crore.

He said that if such a centre was set up here, then the Government would stop funding the present centre, thus it would be difficult to run it without the Government aid.

“The district administration also does not wish to include some members of the centre on the committee formed for the SRSC project,” he said.

He urged the district administration either to include the members on the committee or to raise the funds for better management of the centre.

Firoz Rozindar in Chitradurga

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