JOIN USAimed at augmenting its revenue, North Delhi Municipal Corporation is eyeing municipal school premises for generating revenue by merging schools where student strength is less than 120.
It will then try to use the vacant school premises for commercial purposes. The education committee of the north civic body during its meeting on Tuesday has asked the department to prepare a list of schools where student strength is less than 120.
Education committee chairperson Rekha Gupta said once the list is prepared the committee members will inspect the schools and two schools will be merged if it is feasible.
“The merger will help in optimising both infrastructure and manpower. The vacant school premises could be used for some other purposes, such as making recreational centres, commercial building, community halls, swimming pools and other such facilities,” said Gupta.
In Karol Bagh ward alone, there are four schools where students strength is less than 100.
Municipal officials, after an inspection in Karol Bagh, have found that a school spread over an acre on Bank Street could be used to construct a commercial complex to earn revenue.
But a highly-placed source in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation said school premises can be used for other activities only if the ‘land use’ is changed, which is a tedious and difficult task.
In 2008-09, the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi had also planed to sell vacant schools for developing malls, banquet halls and shops, but dropped the proposal after strong protests.