350 new classrooms in Delhi govt schools remain unused due to payment dispute

New Delhi: Over 350 newly-constructed classrooms in six Delhi government schools located in the north and northwest districts remain unused due to a payment dispute.

The government owes the Public Works Department (PWD) an outstanding amount of over Rs 1,667.2 crore, leading to delays in handing over these additional educational facilities.

These classrooms were constructed to address overcrowding issues in these schools and are crucial for accommodating the educational needs of students. The situation has prompted an NGO named Social Jurist to take action, seeking the intervention of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) to resolve the payment standoff.

The construction of these classrooms was sanctioned in various years, ranging from 2017 to 2020. However, delays occurred when the Delhi government failed to make the necessary payments to the PWD, stalling the completion of these newly constructed school buildings.

Some of the schools that stand to benefit from these extra classrooms include Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Mukundpur, Government Girls Senior Secondary School (GGSSS) at Rani Bagh, Sarvodaya Vidyalaya Co-Ed School in Rohini, and others.

According to the details submitted to the LG by the NGO, progress ranged from 52 to 85 per cent completion in three schools. However, construction activities have been halted for the last two years due to the government’s outstanding payment of Rs 525.3 crore to the PWD.

In the case of GGSS Mukundpur, where construction had been delayed, the NGO filed a petition in Delhi High Court. The court directed the state government to address the issues raised in the petition and take appropriate steps in accordance with the law.

For GGSSS Rani Bagh, where the construction of 108 classrooms and 10 toilets was sanctioned in 2017-18, the construction is complete. However, the government owes Rs 625.21 crore to the PWD for this school.

While an official from the NGO highlighted the issue, stating, “Thousands of students of government schools are being deprived of using six additional newly-constructed school buildings having 358 classrooms for more than 2 years.”

He further pointed out that the release of the funds requires the approval of the council of ministers, which has not occurred, and the reasons for this delay remain unclear. He urged the LG to intervene and request the Delhi government to convene a council of ministers’ meeting to consider and approve the necessary payment.

Responding to the above an official from Delhi government stated, “We remain committed to delivering quality education and are actively working to ensure the timely completion and handover of these school buildings.” Furthermore, a DoE official said, “A cabinet note is being forwarded to the planning, law, and finance departments for their opinions. Following this, the matter will be presented to the council of ministers for the final decision.”