Jammu: 100 open-sky schools to get buildings

Jammu: Nearly 100 open-sky schools in Jammu district, which often face closure due to bad weather, will get buildings by this year-end under the Jammu and Kashmir government's 'TAMIER' project, an official said on Sunday.

Sub-divisional magistrates have been assigned the job of supervising the construction of these buildings by the rural development department, District Development Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.

"The target is to construct 100 buildings by the end of this year under the 'TAMIER' project," he said.

Students in remote areas of the district face hardships due to lack of proper infrastructure at open-sky schools, which functioning without buildings and often face closure due to bad weather.

Choudhary, who is heading a district-level committee to monitor the progress of construction on a weekly basis, said the project is expected to be completed before the end of this year.

The education department has sponsored 45-50 per cent funds for the project while the remaining funds are being provided under convergence of various schemes, the officer said.

He said that an assessment of the open-sky schools was done in June, and it was found that 163 schools in the district do not have a building.

"Accordingly a project was worked out with convergence of schemes and manpower of departments as well as community resources for providing buildings to open-sky schools," the officer said.

The 100 buildings will replace the open-sky schools this year. This would benefit 3,400 students, Choudhary said, adding that the schools selected have enrolment of 20 and above.

The remaining 63 schools, with enrolment below 20 and without school buildings, would be taken up during the second phase of the project next year, he said.

State land was provided for nearly 70 schools while the remaining schools are being built on community or private lands for which donations are being sought, the officer said.

The highest, 20 buildings are coming up in Koteranka followed by 14 in Darhal, 10 in Thanamandi, and nine each in Manjakote, Peeri, Baljarallan and Khwas zones, he said.

Five buildings are being constructed in Moughla, four in Kalakote, three each in Rajnagar, Doongi and Dandesar, and one each in Nowshera and Lower Hathal, Choudhary said.

"These schools have a total enrolment of 3,181 students in the current year, which is expected to nearly double with the construction of these buildings," he said.

Choudhary said that an independent inter-departmental engineering team would inspect the construction of the buildings for quality.