115 school buildings declared unsafe in Budhal constituency post recent floods: Government

Srinagar, Oct 31: The education sector in Budhal constituency of Rajouri district continues to face a severe crisis, with nearly half of the sanctioned teaching and administrative positions lying vacant and over a hundred school buildings declared unsafe following recent floods.

Education Minister Sakina Itoo, while replying to a question by MLA Javid Iqbal in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, informed that against the sanctioned strength of 917 posts — including Principals, Lecturers, ZEOs, Headmasters, Masters and Teachers — only 484 have been filled, leaving 433 positions vacant.

She said that 67 government schools in the Budhal constituency are without permanent buildings. “For this, 33 school buildings have been sanctioned during 2024–25 and 2025–26 under Samagra Shiksha,” the minister informed, adding that the remaining schools will be proposed for construction under subsequent phases of Samagra Shiksha, UT Capex, or District Capex.

The minister further revealed that 115 school buildings in Budhal constituency have been declared unsafe in the aftermath of recent flash floods.

While the overall pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) in Rajouri district stands at 15:1, the ratio in Budhal is 24:1 — still within the national norm of 30:1. “The shortage of staff is being addressed through rationalisation to maintain the PTR,” she said.

To address staffing gaps, the government has engaged 32 Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs), five subject-specific teachers, and 37 contingent-paid workers. “Posting of two Junior Assistants in the ZEO Office Peeri and rationalisation of teaching staff is under process,” the minister added.

She also said that only two of the 40 school buildings proposed for Budhal under the *Tameer* project — conceived by the District Administration Rajouri for the construction of 100 schools — have been approved so far.

The minister informed that the government is considering de-freezing 50 percent of teaching posts across Jammu and Kashmir to enable fresh recruitment. “This will help address staff shortages and ensure quality education for students enrolled in government schools,” she said.

She further told the House that MLAs were being consulted for infrastructure development in their respective constituencies and that massive school infrastructure projects are being undertaken under the Samagra Shiksha scheme to ensure adequate facilities in government schools.

Replying to a clubbed question by MLAs Mir Saifullah and Farooq Ahmad Shah, the minister clarified that there was no proposal for upgrading schools to the next level at present. “The School Education Department is focusing on strengthening existing schools by providing adequate staff, particularly to those upgraded in recent years,” she said.

She explained that upgrading high schools to higher secondary level involves creating new lecturer and non-teaching posts and expanding infrastructure, which carries significant financial implications and requires concurrence from the Finance Department.

“The upgradation of schools in Trehgam constituency will be considered once the School Education Department formally proposes it,” the minister said.