4800 schools without own buildings

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 31: Despite numerous schemes of the Central Government aimed at providing sufficient educational infrastructure to the students, over 4800 schools are without own buildings in Jammu and Kashmir.
As per the official figures, 1529 schools functioning under Directorates of School Education Kashmir and Jammu and 3321 under SSA are functioning from rented accommodation as Education Department has failed to provide them their own infrastructure.
What to talk of schools in the hilly and remote districts even large number of schools in urban areas like Srinagar and Jammu are functioning from the rented accommodation thereby establishing that Government has failed to ensure creation of sufficient infrastructure for which huge funding is being provided by the Union Government under different schemes.
According to the data, 629 schools are functioning from rented accommodation in Srinagar district, 603 in Budgam district, 84 in Ganderbal, 372 in Anantnag, 129 in Kulgam, 241 in Pulwama, 21 in Shopian, 552 in Baramulla, 483 in Bandipora, 397 in Kupwara, 21 in Udhampur, 114 in Kathua, 285 in Rajouri, 239 in Kishtwar, 104 in Reasi, 163 in Ramban, 92 in Jammu, 117 in Poonch, 18 in Samba, 135 in Doda, 47 in Kargil and 4 in Leh.
In the absence of own buildings, huge rent is being paid by the Education Department to the owners of these rented accommodations ever year, admitted the Minister for Education in a written reply to the question of BJP MLA from Jammu East, Rajesh Gupta in the Legislative Assembly today.
While concealing the number of schools without toilet facility, the Minister said, “attempt has been made to ensure that there is no school in the State without this basic facility”, adding “the reports filed by field staff in this regard are being verified through Deputy Commissioners”. He, however, informed the House that 17506 schools have been provided with toilet facility during the last two years in the State.
Responding to another query, the Education Minister said that 32 school buildings (14 fully and 18 partially) were burnt during the recent unrest in Kashmir valley.

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