Srinagar, Mar 17 : The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday said that 151 government schools in the Budgam district are currently operating in rented facilities.
In response to a question raised by MLA Ali Mohammad Dar during the Assembly session, the minister responsible for the higher education department stated that there are a total of 917 schools ranging from primary to higher secondary levels in District Budgam. Out of these, 766 schools are housed in government-owned buildings, while 151 are situated in rented accommodations.
The breakdown of the rented schools in Budgam district includes 81 primary schools, 67 middle schools, 2 high schools, and 1 higher secondary school.
“The government has received various public requests for the upgradation of primary, middle, and high schools to the next higher level in District Budgam. This includes schools such as GPS Wachoo, HS Ompora, MS Habbar Khag, HS Loolipora, MS Batpora, PS Gojra, and PS Bikamnar. However, none of these schools have met the established feasibility criteria,” the minister remarked.
Nevertheless, several requests for the upgradation of schools have been submitted by the concerned district to the Chief Education Officers and Directorates, which have been forwarded to the relevant authorities for the preparation of feasibility reports.
“Currently, there are no proposals for the upgradation of schools within the School Education Department, as the focus is on consolidating human and capital resources in schools that have already been upgraded. The process of upgrading schools requires significant financial investment for staffing and infrastructure development. Given the government’s current resources, it is not feasible to pursue school upgrades at this time,” the minister concluded.
