Chennai, April 9 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department has earmarked Rs 60 crore for the repair and renovation of primary and middle schools across 2,338 village panchayats in the state.
The initiative is being implemented under the School Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (SIUS) for the academic year 2025–26.
The allocated funds will be used to identify, renovate, and repair primary and middle schools in both village and town panchayats.
According to an official notification, the maintenance of infrastructure facilities in rural schools is the responsibility of the respective panchayat unions.
In line with this, the SIUS has been introduced to facilitate infrastructure development in a phased manner.
All panchayat union schools identified under the Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT) 2025–26 must be covered under the SIUS during the same period.
Before commencing any renovation, all panchayat unions are required to obtain a structural stability certificate from the Assistant Executive Engineer.
Only schools that have not undergone repair or renovation in the past five years will be eligible for this phase of work.
While assessing damages under AGAMT, panchayat unions have been instructed to consider infrastructure issues such as damages in classrooms, kitchen sheds, toilets, and water supply systems.
Renovation works will include repairs to RCC ceilings, wall cracks, damaged doors and windows, and broken flooring, which will be replaced with anti-skid tiles.
Electrical issues, including wiring and fittings, will be addressed during future upgrades under the smart classroom initiatives.
For kitchen sheds, toilet facilities, and buildings with water supply connections, renovation will be allowed only if no work has been done in the past three years.
To improve safety and durability, the department has mandated the replacement of cement or concrete water tanks with Syntex tanks.
Additionally, panchayats have been instructed to install rainwater harvesting structures wherever needed.
A committee comprising the Block Development Officer, Assistant Engineer, Block Education Officer, School Principal, and the Village Panchayat President will be responsible for selecting and finalising the renovation works.
To ensure quality and accountability, the District Collector, Additional Collector/Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), and the Executive Engineer/Assistant Executive Engineer of the Revenue Department will monitor and verify the implementation of the repair works.
–IANS
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