There is a shortfall of over 16,000 class rooms in state-run primary schools in Gujarat due to implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act a few years ago, the Legislative Assembly was told during the question hour on March 5.

As per a written reply submitted by minister of state for primary and higher education, Vibhavari Dave, during Question Hour, the need to build new classrooms in state-run primary schools has arisen after standard 8 became part of primary education under the RTE Act.

Out of the total 33 districts in Gujarat, tribal-dominated Dahod tops the list with a shortfall of 1,416 classrooms, followed by Banaskantha (1,104), Anand (856), Panchmahal (835), and Sabarkantha (828).In all, the government needs to build 16,008 classrooms across the state to overcome the shortfall, it said.

“While we have already built around 30,000 classrooms, we are still having a shortfall of around 16,000 classrooms," Dave said, adding that these classrooms will be built at the earliest.