Delhi govt sanctions Rs 900 crore to install smart classrooms and blackboards
With this, the number of smart classrooms is set to increase to 21,412 by 2029-30, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 recommendations, Education Minister Ashish Sood said. Tender for the same have already been invited, he added.
In a dig at the previous AAP regime, Sood said, 'You will be surprised to know that Delhi has 37,778 classrooms in government schools, yet between 2014 and 2024, only 799 of these were equipped with smart blackboards, and even those came through CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) donations, not government funding…'
He added that this was the first major step in the BJP government's mission to make Delhi's government schools better than private schools.
During the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta approved Rs 33 crore for the District Project Fund, while Rs 20 crore was allotted for the Integrated District Project Fund. The funds will be utilised for all the 11 administrative districts of Delhi, with every district receiving Rs 3 crore for local projects.
According to the CM, the funds will help support projects on infrastructure, community amenities, and social welfare. These projects will include repairs in schools dispensaries, public toilets, and parks; maintenance of cow shelters, installation of street lights and CCTV cameras; upkeep of drains, pond rejuvenation, and flood control works. 'Implementation of these projects will be carried out through departments like PWD, Irrigation and Flood Control, MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi), among others,' Gupta added.
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