WB govt releases funds for infra development in schools

Kolkata : The West Bengal government has released `50 cr for developing infrastructure and improving facilities in government and government-aided schools

. Of the total allotment, over `45 cr would be used to build classrooms at 528 schools in Kolkata and 18 districts of the state, including Howrah, Hooghly, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Malda, a senior official at the state secretariat said.

The rest of the money would be utilised to install safe drinking water systems at 120 primary, 130 upper-primary and around 100 higher-secondary schools, he said.

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants to improve the standard of government schools. The funds have been released to develop infrastructure at primary, upper-primary, secondary and higher-secondary schools," he told PTI on Tuesday. According to the official, the development work was expected to be completed before next year's panchayat elections in the state. "Besides releasing funds for safe drinking water system and classroom development, the government has separately allocated money for district-wise development of these schools," the official said.