Edu dept sanctions Rs 410 cr for construction of 300 new schools

Jaipur: The state education department Tuesday approved Rs 410 crore for constructing new buildings to replace dilapidated structures in 300 govt schools under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.

The sanctioned schools include 185 primary, 70 upper primary and 45 senior secondary institutions. The unit cost has been fixed at Rs 73.93 lakh for primary schools, Rs 1 crore for upper primary schools and Rs 4.49 crore for senior secondary schools, officials said. The order was issued by state project director Rashmi Sharma.

The move follows a statewide safety audit conducted after a school building collapse in Piplodi village in Jhalawar district in July last year, which killed seven children and injured 21 others. The govt had also earmarked Rs 450 crore in the 2026-27 state budget for constructing buildings for 300 schools currently lacking proper infrastructure.

Officials said the latest administrative sanction aligns with approvals granted by the Project Approval Board (PAB) of the Department of School Education & Literacy under the Union Ministry of Education. The PAB meeting was held on March 19.

The approved amount covers construction costs as well as expenditure on furniture, fixtures, smart classrooms, electricity and water facilities, along with contingency and quality control components.

“Expenditure shall be incurred only on those activities which have been approved. Final payment of contractor shall be made only after… issuance of completion certificate by competent authority,” the order stated, outlining strict compliance and monitoring norms for project execution.