new delhi government schools in the city that so far did without any kind of telecommunication link will soon get telephone connections the government has agreed to extend the facility to 278 schools in the citymany government schools here do not even have one telephone we decided to make sure that not one of them is without a telephone connection at a time when we are talking about itenabled institutions the least we can do is provide this basic instrument said delhi state education minister raj kumar chauhanthe issue was in the pipeline for a while said chauhan we have asked the deputy directors to identify schools that do not have a telephone link and send the list to us an education department source saida number of such schools are located in remote rural areas and the lack of a telephone hinders administrative work apart from creating problems for teachers and parents my school is located in a village on the outskirts of delhi we do not even have a proper motorable road for reaching our school in the absence of a telephone no one can contact you in case of an emergency said the principal of a government school located in northwest delhiand the problem was perceived from the other end as well a small message that can be passed on the phone has to be delivered in person said an education department official according to him the telephones are being sanctioned under the vidyalaya kalyan samiti vks funds as the government had slashed the funds under the nonplanned funds headthe government is trimming costs essential office expenses can be met with the funds provided to schools under the vks scheme in this head principals can spend up to rs 120 lakh on repairs and infrastructural work for works up to rs 2000 they do not need any kind of official clearance he saidwe have already sent the demand to the finance department and they have given their nod to the effort he added