Cuttack, May 6: Dearth of land has come in the way of the state government's initiative to have permanent buildings for all state-run elementary schools.

At present, the state has 53,252 government elementary schools. But, 376 of them don't have any permanent building.

"Funds are available to construct buildings of 80 schools. But due to the non-availability of land, the construction could not be undertaken," Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority's project director Mahendra Kumar Mallik said in an affidavit submitted before Orissa High Court.

"However, the collectors concerned are being requested to identify land and hand them over to the school and mass education department, so that the construction can be undertaken as early as possible," Mallik said in the affidavit submitted last week.

The court was hearing a PIL on lack of various facilities in elementary schools across the state. Earlier, the state government was directed to give details of the number of schools, which lacked permanent buildings and what steps had been taken for providing permanent buildings to these schools with adequate classrooms.

In his affidavit, the project director said: "Construction is being undertaken in 32 schools, which will be over by March 2017."

"According to the Right to Education Act norms, as many as 6,605 more classrooms are required - two classrooms for each primary school and three for each upper primary school," Mallik said in his sworn statement.

"Accordingly, annual work plan for construction of school building with additional classrooms has already been prepared and submitted to the Centre. After sanction of funds for the purpose, construction of classrooms shall immediately be undertaken," the affidavit said.

The government was also asked to give details of the exact time frame for providing various facilities in the school, including the appointment of teachers.

The affidavit says the state government has targeted August and November deadlines for providing toilets and safe drinking water to all elementary schools, respectively.

Earlier, the state had 53,455 schools. Due to less enrolment, 203 schools have been closed. Now, the number of elementary schools has been reduced to 53,252. While 3,534 schools have no toilet facilities, safe drinking water is also not available in 289 schools. While 11,192 schools have playgrounds, for the rest 42,060, the government targeted identification of land by June.

"Taking on record the affidavit, the division bench of Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice B.R. Sarangi posted the matter to July 11 while directing the state government to implement the roadmap prepared by it both in letter and spirit," amicus curiae Prafulla Kumar Rath told The Telegraph.

"The court also directed the state government to file correct details on students, who are enrolled as well as the number of children in the age group between six and 14 years by then," Rath said.