Government schools will have 12,748 rooms in one-and-a-half years: Sisodia

 New Delhi: The Delhi government will build 12,748 new rooms, including around 10,000 classrooms in its schools, in the next one and half years, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in a tweet, dubbed the move a "massive infra boost" for the education sector of the national capital. 

According to a government statement, the entire project will incur a cost of around Rs 2,892 crore.

The cabinet sanctioned construction of a total 12,748 rooms in Delhi government schools, including 9,981 classrooms, 106 multipurpose halls and 328 laboratories, Sisodia told reporters.

It also includes 204 libraries, principal, vice principal and staff rooms, as well as 1,067 toilet blocks. 

Construction of these rooms will incur an estimated cost of Rs 2,892.65 crore. This will include Rs 1,300 crore in the current financial year and Rs 1,562.65 crore during 2019-20 fiscal.

The PWD is the executing agency for the project, according to a government statement. "These rooms will be constructed in the next one to one and half years," Sisodia, who also hold the education portfolio, said.

He said the Delhi government wants to develop capacity of the schools run by it and the municipal corporations to facilitate accommodating at least 44 lakh children there.

Since coming to power in 2015, the AAP government has built over 8,000 rooms in its schools. With the construction of new rooms, the total number will cross 20,000, the deputy chief minister said.

Sisodia claimed the need for new rooms in schools will always be felt as children from private schools have now started moving to Delhi government-run schools due to improved facilities and education there.