3 more competitive exam coaching centres in AP for minorities

Four such centres are currently functioning at Hyderabad, Guntur, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool.

Reddy was speaking as the chief guest at a function on the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Moulana Abdul Kalam Azad.

Paying glowing tributes to Azad, he said as first Education Minister of Independent India, he introduced IITs which are the best in the world.

Education alone can bring a revolutionary change in the society, an official release quoted him as saying.

Reddy appealed to parents and religious heads to help the government in motivating children to attend school.

Stating that several programmes are being implemented for the welfare of minorities, he said the budget for minorities in Andhra Pradesh was Rs 30 crore during 2004-05, which has now been enhanced to Rs 489 crore.

The chief minister sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore for repair of mosques and churches in the state.