Delhi Cabinet approves 10,000 dual desks from Tihar Jail for schools

The Delhi Cabinet approved the procurement of 10,000 dual desks from the Tihar Jail Factory to address a growing furniture shortage in government schools on Tuesday. “This decision will strengthen schools and create meaningful work opportunities for inmates. It supports rehabilitation, reform, and reintegration,” the Chief Minister said after chairing the Cabinet meeting.

The order follows instructions issued by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry during the third National Chief Secretaries’ Conference, which encouraged states to expand productive work for inmates. The desks will be supplied at approved rates, inclusive of GST. The total project cost is set at Rs 8,95,40,000 covering transport and related expenses. Officials said the Education Department has already set aside Rs 20 crore in the 2025-26 budget for furniture and essential items. The Chief Minister said Tihar-made desks match Public Works Department standards and are about 25 per cent cheaper than market options. The government expects the decision to improve the learning environment while providing steady work and skills training inside the prison factory.

Education Minister Ashish Sood said the city runs 1,086 government schools. Student numbers have grown over the past few years, along with new classroom construction. This has created a shortage of dual desks in several schools. To gauge the actual requirement, the department ran a survey in April.

Inputs were taken from principals, district deputy directors, and regional directors. The exercise identified a need for 23,321 desks across 127 schools. Additional requests later raised the citywide demand to around 25,000.

Sood said the government will meet the requirement in phases. The first phase covers 10,000 desks. More orders will follow once the first batch is delivered. Officials said the partnership with Tihar helps the education system and the prison industry. Tihar’s factory units already produce furniture for several departments. The new order is expected to support a large number of inmates who are part of the carpentry and fabrication units.

With many schools facing space pressure, teachers welcomed the Cabinet’s quick approval. Several schools have been using mismatched or repaired desks that are no longer adequate for rising enrolments. Delivery schedules will be announced once the supply timeline is finalised.