Ludhiana Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) office on Wednesday received a grant of Rs 1.1 crore to build 20 new classrooms in government schools in the district.
As many as 15 schools in rural areas and five in urban areas that are facing shortage of classrooms will get the new ones. Each school will get Rs 5.5 lakh per classroom.
The schools that got grants on Wednesday are - in rural areas - one classroom each in Government Primary School, Jallah; Government Primary School, Leela, Government High School, Gag Kalan, Government Senior Secondary School, Sidhwan Bet, Government Primary School, Salempur, Government High School, Khatra, Government Senior Secondary School, Jatana, and two each in Government Senior Secondary School, Halwara, Government Primary School, Barmalipur, Government High School, Sarih, and Government High School, Gulal.
In urban areas - two classrooms in Government Primary School, Giaspura, Government Primary School, Nehru Memorial, and one classroom in Government Primary School, Civil Lines.
The SSA office had in December last year received an approval for 217 classrooms from the central government, out of which 67 additional classrooms are required in primary and 150 in upper primary schools in the district. But till today, the Ludhiana SSA office has got a grant for just 62 classrooms.
Talking to Hindustan Times, district education officer (elementary) Gurjot Singh said, "We wanted to utilise the grant that is meant for additional classrooms for renovation of unsafe classrooms, but the director general school education (DGSE) office rejected our request. We have now transferred the grant to the schools concerned so that they can start the construction work."
{{/usCountry}}Talking to Hindustan Times, district education officer (elementary) Gurjot Singh said, "We wanted to utilise the grant that is meant for additional classrooms for renovation of unsafe classrooms, but the director general school education (DGSE) office rejected our request. We have now transferred the grant to the schools concerned so that they can start the construction work."
{{/usCountry}}No grant for unsafe schools
While there are four government schools in Ludhiana that are declared unsafe by the Public Works Department (PWD) department, the SSA office here has not received grants in this regard.
Four unsafe schools
+ Government Primary School, Moti Nagar, which has five classrooms, and was declared unsafe last year. It was shifted to a police station building on December 16.
+ Government High School, Chowani Mohalla, which has three unsafe classrooms and was shifted to Government Senior Secondary School, Kundanpuri, in May last year
+ Government Primary School, Bija, which has two unsafe classrooms. The school authorities are conducting classes at a nearby dharamsala.
+ Government Primary School, Sansowal Khurd, has two unsafe classrooms and was shifted to a dharamsala last month.