21 Kendriya Vidyalaya buildings unsafe: Minister

As many as 21 Kendriya Vidyalaya school buildings are "unsafe" in the country, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank' said that a safety audit showed that these buildings were located in border, hill and tribal areas and were found partially or fully unsafe.

"The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) had initiated action to get the technical audit done in respect of more than 10 years old school buildings through the Indian Institute of Technology/National Institute of Technology/Government Engineering Colleges," he said. 

"KVS has informed that based on report received from regional offices, 21 Kendriya Vidyalayas school buildings ... are found partially/fully unsafe," the Minister said in a written reply.

He said that work on replacement of four unsafe school buildings -- located at Air Force Stations at Jamnagar in Gujarat and Thane, the ordinance factory at Chanda and Nasik Road camp in Maharashtra -- had been sanctioned.

He added that work on the remaining 17 buildings would be taken up once the funds were available. 

"In respect of the remaining 17 KVs, the work of repair or replacement can be taken up on receipt of estimates from construction agencies and availability of adequate fund. However, instructions have been issued not to run the Vidyalaya in the unsafe buildings," he added. IANS