J&K: Only 4 secondary schools constructed in 6 years, work yet to start on 52

Out of 109 new Secondary Level Schools sanctioned for Jammu and Kashmir by the central government since 2015, merely four schools have reportedly been completed.

Of this, the number of secondary schools for which construction is in progress stands at 53, and the number of secondary schools for which the local government has failed to start work is 52.

The shocking irregularities have been flagged in the meeting of the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India for considering the Annual Work Plan & Budget 2021-22 under Samagra Shiksha for the Union Territory of J&K.

The report further mentions that during the period 2009-2015, as many as 505 secondary level schools were sanctioned, of which 374 are said to be completed, while 129 are still in progress, and work for 2 schools has not even started.

Interestingly, 9 secondary schools are ‘in progress’ since 2009-2010. COVID19 pandemic has happened only recently, to affect the working of almost all sectors.

The Central Government had also asked for construction of additional class rooms during the period 2016-21, to strengthen the existing schools of secondary level across J&K. Of 235 approved projects, only 64 constructions are said to be completed and that too in the year 2016-17, zero since then; 93 are in progress, while the work on 78 couldn’t be started.

The report mentions about the year 2011-12, when 34 projects were approved, 32 were completed, 2 are in progress, but misses out on the data for 2012-16 or maybe hints at something.

Moving on to the next component of the report, 596 civil projects have been approved for science labs in existing secondary schools during 2016-21, of which 57 have been accomplished, 243 are in progress, and work on 296 hasn’t commenced till date.

Regarding the construction of computer rooms in existing secondary schools, the report reveals that 426 civil works were approved during 2016-21, of which 76 are completed, 165 are in progress, and work on 185 hasn’t started.

Furthermore, 76 projects of library construction have been completed out of approved number of 621 during 2016-21, while 250 are in progress, and 295 are yet to begin.

Another component aimed at infrastructural upgradation of secondary schools, was providing them with space for art & craft. As such, 1091 civil works were approved during 2016-21, and 94 of them have been completed, 468 are in progress, and 529 waiting to move to next stage.

The above four components too have no data for 2012-16, but going by the numbers, J&K has shown better performance in executing these approved projects during 2011-12.

Lastly, the report talks about J&K’s progress in terms of constructing toilets for girls in secondary schools.

In the year 2009-10, 216 toilets were built out of approved 302, while 3 are under construction, and work on 83 yet to be started. 60 toilets were built in 2011-12 out of approved 65, 3 will be termed ‘completed’ someday and work on 2 will also be initiated.

Also: Read my article at The News Now