Girls of Kasturba Gandhi schools in Bokaro district can now look forward to a healthy dose of physical exercise.

To ensure both brain and brawn get equal importance, all eight Kasturba Gandhi schools in eight blocks - Chas, Bermo, Nawadih, Jaridih,Chandanakyari, Gomia, Chandrapura and Kasmar -will soon boast of gymnasiums with state-of-the-art equipment.

Around 2,561 girls, who come from poor families and do not have access to gyms like their counterparts in private schools, can now get much-needed physical activity.

The state government has approved Rs 16 lakh (Rs 2 lakh for each school) for the gyms.

District superintendent of education (DSE) Veena Kumari said she received a letter from the state HRD ministry and directed school authorities to select a big room in their buildings where the gym could be set up.

"Students will be free to use the gymnasium as per their convenience. This will definitely help students increase their physical strength. Students of Kasturba Gandhi schools have been missing gym facilities all this while but not anymore," she said.

The gyms are likely to start functioning from the next academic session in April and will be equipped with two treadmills, two stationary cycles, two ab exercisers, two steppers, four roller sliders, four gym balls, one trampoline, 12 skipping ropes, four height rods, two weighing scales, eight hula rings, four yoga mats, four dips, four tummy trimmers, two dumbbells and four hand grip exercisers.

Kasturba schoolgirls are, naturally, quite excited about the new facility to be introduced in their schools.

"On television, we see how girls exercise and tone up their bodies in gyms. Since a gym is coming up in my school, I will now find out time to go for regular exercises," said Class IX student of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Chas, Meena Kumari.