Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 30: A school building in Badharkal in the Rajwar area of north Kashmir’s Handwara is lying in dilapidated condition for the last several years even as the school building was constructed after spending lakhs.
The locals allege that the concerned agencies involved in the construction only minted money and used sub-standard material in building the school. They said that the building could not sustain the heavy snowfall of 2018 and since then the building is lying in dilapidated condition.
The residents said that the Education Department as well as the district administration has been acting as mute spectators as they failed in renovating the building due to which the studies of the students have taken a hit.
“Heavy snowfall in 2018 caused severe damage to the school building and its roof was broken and the same was not rectified since then due to the official apathy,” the locals said.
They said that the school building has been turned into ruins, while the students are forced to study in open while as the rainy day automatically turns into holidays for the students.
“The administration has forgotten the dilapidated condition of the school while as huge money was spent on it and despite that, the school suffered damages during snowfall and since then nobody has made any efforts to reach out to the people and start the repairs,” the locals said.
The concerned Sarpanch Badharkal Wani Mohalla Ghulam Mohiuddin said that he has been appraising the authorities about the condition of the school but to no avail. “They have destroyed the future of the students as they are not able to study properly study in the classrooms and despite knowing that, the administration has not been taking any pains,” he said.
The locals alleged that over 10 lakh rupees were earlier spent on the school, but they said that the sub-standard material was put to use by the concerned agency which further deteriorated the situation.
“The snowfall in 2018 caused the school building to collapse as poor-quality materials were used in the construction of the school building which proved to be short-lived,” the residents said.
The locals said that they informed the administration, as well as the department officials, were repeatedly informed about the school building but, they said, the concerned departments did not pay any attention to it.
“The children of this village are studying in a makeshift building. Though the rent of the building is paid, a better environment is not being given to the students,” the locals said.
Concerned Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Mushtaq Ahmad told Excelsior that the necessary repairs would be carried out soon. “The work is in the plan and it will be done soon,” he said.
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