Schools ready for new academic session with temporary classrooms

GANGTOK, 09 Feb: The HRDD has been working overtime to get the damaged school buildings and classrooms in the state ready for the next academic session beginning 14 February. While almost all government school buildings in the state sustained some kind of damage the department has managed to set up 665 temporary classrooms all over the state. In fact these 665 classrooms have been set up in 178 schools across the state to ensure that the schools reopen at the scheduled time.
As a result of the earthquake of 18 September, 2011 A total of 682 school buildings across the state sustained damages; among these 268 sustained minor damages, 334 buildings sustains major damages, including 32 school buildings which collapsed and another 80 school buildings which collapsed totally.
While the department had put up a proposal of Rs.73.74 crores for the reconstruction of the school buildings the present construction of temporary classrooms had been done largely using its internal funds; however the department, it is informed, has received assurance that the government would soon release the full amount shortly.
It has been informed that for the smooth running of the schools these 665 temporary classrooms have been constructed so that the academic session of the students is not hampered. It was further informed that these temporary rooms are good enough to house the classes; in fact it is informed that classes can operated from these temporary structures for a few years. On the other hand the reconstruction of school buildings is also being taken up on priority basis. The HRDD has already requested the concerned area MLAs to take up the school works through the local societies of the area and at many places these works have already begun.