Chandigarh, March 11:- With the aim of strengthening school education in Haryana, an amount of Rs 2 crore will be given to every PM Sri school in the state for two years for strengthening the infrastructure. This amount to be given by the Central Government will cover 21 major components, the aim of which is to develop government schools as modern education centers.
Chief Secretary Mr. Anurag Rastogi while reviewing the progress of PM Sri scheme here today directed that district level committees should be formed under the leadership of Deputy Commissioners and Additional Deputy Commissioners to assess the basic and educational needs of these schools and to implement the works in a time-bound manner.
He directed that these committees should visit the schools coming under their jurisdiction and assess their basic infrastructure and educational needs. Also, priority works should be identified so that the funds can be utilized appropriately for strengthening the educational infrastructure.
Mr. Anurag Rastogi said that all the academic and non-academic vacancies in these schools should be filled on priority basis. Also, HCS officers posted in the districts should adopt at least one PM Sri school and take responsibility for its guidance and supervision so that the effective implementation of the scheme can be ensured. He said that PM Sri initiative will play an important role in transforming government schools into ideal institutions and strengthening the overall quality of education in the entire state.
The Chief Secretary said that three PM Sri schools and three Model Sanskriti schools of the state who have performed excellently will be honored on the occasion of Independence Day. This honor will be given on the basis of noteworthy achievements in academic entrepreneurship, infrastructure development and innovative educational methods. He directed the Education Department to constitute creative and selection committees at the district and divisional levels to evaluate the performance of the schools and select excellent institutions.
It is noteworthy that a total of 250 PM Sri schools have been selected in the state under various phases of the scheme. 124 schools were included in the first phase, while 111 schools were included in the second phase. 6 schools were selected in the third phase and 9 schools in the fifth phase.
Out of the 143 development blocks of the state, 137 blocks have been covered under this scheme. Out of these, two PM Sri schools have been established in 113 blocks, including one senior secondary school and one primary or secondary level school. One PM Sri school has been established in each of the remaining 24 blocks.
The approved budget for this scheme is Rs 191.69 crore for the year 2025-26, out of which Rs 95.87 crore has been approved and Rs 29.78 crore has been spent so far.
It was informed in the meeting that these schools are being developed as environment-friendly green schools, in which facilities like solar power plants, LED lighting system, water conservation system, nutrition vatika and plastic free campus are being developed. Along with these, smart classes, digital educational equipment and experience-based educational methods are also being promoted so that the students can get curiosity-based and student-centered education.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Higher Education Department Mr. Vineet Garg, United States Project Director of Haryana School Education Project Council Mr. Mayank Verma and other senior officers were present in the meeting.