Telangana Young India Residential School Project Faces Delays Over Land Issues

More than 15 months after the state government announced the Young India Integrated Residential Schools (YIIRS) initiative, not a single school has been launched in Telangana, with land allotment issues and topographical challenges slowing down construction across multiple constituencies.

The state government proposed establishing YIIRS campuses across 105 Assembly constituencies to cater to students from Backward Classes (BC), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Minority, and other communities. Administrative sanction has been accorded for 86 schools so far.

According to officials, tenders have been finalised for 78 schools, and construction works are currently under way at various stages across 64 locations. While the government initially aimed to launch 40 schools before the upcoming academic year, the slow pace of execution on the ground has made meeting that target difficult.

Financial figures also reflect the slow progress. Out of the proposed Rs 8,678 crore earmarked for the YIIRS project in the 2026-27 financial year, only Rs 234 crore has been spent to date.

Officials attributed the delays primarily to difficulties in securing suitable land and dealing with challenging terrain. In constituencies such as Madhira and Huzurnagar, executing agencies encountered rocky ground at the identified sites. Workers had to undertake extensive land-levelling operations, which significantly increased the workload and consumed valuable time.

Project timelines were also affected by changes in planning at specific locations. In Kodangal, a site was initially earmarked for the school, but plans were subsequently revised to develop the area into a broader educational hub, causing delays in finalising the project design.

In several other constituencies, authorities ran into procedural and structural hurdles after identifying assigned lands or finding allotted plots unsuitable for school construction. In such instances, officials had to search for alternative sites.

Despite the hurdles, officials stated that construction activities are continuing across sanctioned locations, with authorities now projecting that 25 schools will be ready for inauguration by the next academic year.