Budgam, Oct 11: Despite the government spending a substantial amount on the construction of a new school building in Gampora village of Beerwah tehsil in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, students continue to attend classes in an old, dilapidated structure that lacks basic facilities, including a toilet and safe drinking water.
Locals said the new school building was provided by the government nearly six years ago and its construction has been completed. However, the building has yet to be made functional, forcing students to continue their studies in the old school building under poor conditions.
Abdul Hamid Sheikh, a resident of Gampora village told Rising Kashmir that the old school building lacks essential facilities such as toilets, drinking water and a playground.
He said the deteriorating condition of the structure has made it difficult for students to attend classes in a safe and comfortable environment.
“The students have to visit neighbouring houses to use their toilets as there is no washroom available in the school. The premises are also without proper fencing, allowing stray dogs to roam around the school at any time,” Sheikh said.
He said that the newly constructed school building had also suffered damage despite being completed years ago. According to him, the washrooms and windows of the new structure have been damaged, while the absence of an approach road has further complicated efforts to make the building operational.
“If the government has spent a huge amount of public money on constructing a new school building, why has it not been handed over or made functional for the Education Department?,” Sheikh said.
Another local resident said the lack of basic infrastructure in the government school was adversely affecting the education of children in the village.
The residents urged the concerned authorities to intervene and ensure that students are provided with a safe learning environment.
They have also appealed to the authorities to address the issue at the earliest and make the new school building functional so that students can pursue their education in a safe and suitable environment.
An official from the Zonal Education Office, Beerwah, said that a case related to the school building is pending with the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The residents have appealed to the authorities to address the issue at the earliest and make the new school building functional so that students can pursue their education in a safe and suitable environment.
