111 govt schools to get more rooms, labs before next academic year

To upgrade government high and higher secondary schools, the State government had issued orders to build more facilities, including classrooms, science laboratories, toilets, compound walls, furniture and lab equipment.

The project is being carried out at an estimated cost of Rs 200.18 crore under the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development’s (NABARD) loan assistance scheme. The project is funded by NABARD and the State government in the ratio of 85:15.

“The PWD has undertaken the project on behalf of the Department of School Education (DSE). The work order was released this month. The works are going on in full swing. We are planning to finish it by March,” said an official source.

NABARD has already sanctioned their share of Rs 170.15 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund loan for 2018-19. The rest of the sum, Rs 30.03 crore, would be allocated by the government.

Other than classrooms, 111 science laboratories, 104 drinking water facilities, 255 toilets and compound wall measuring 39,478 metres would be constructed under the project.

The School Education Department submitted the revised proposal after standardising classrooms in accordance with the strength and number of sections. “With this, all the projects we undertook are coming to an end. The new projects will be undertaken only after the announcement made in the State budget,” said an official.