Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 10: The Government High School in Waliwar, located in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, remains incomplete after 12 years since construction began, forcing students to cope with overcrowded conditions in the old building.
The project, initiated in 2010 at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 50 lakhs, aimed to build a new 10-room school building. While the Road and Buildings Department has completed most of the construction, including brickwork and roofing, crucial finishing touches like window installations and ceiling work are still pending.
“Under RAMSA, significant progress has been made with brick and roofing work completed. However, essential finishing works are pending,” Chief Education Officer of Ganderbal, Surjeet Kumar, said.
He added that efforts have been made to resolve the issue, including appeals to the Director of School Education and Samagra Shiksha and correspondence with the Roads and Buildings Department to resume stalled work promptly.
Local residents have expressed concern over the incomplete structure, forcing students to attend classes in unsafe outdoor conditions. They emphasize the necessity for immediate government action to ensure all students, especially those from marginalized communities, have safe and suitable learning environments
“For 12 years, students, many from impoverished families, have endured this hardship. We urge authorities to expedite construction to alleviate their suffering,” Ashiq Ahmad Sheikh, a resident, said.
Zytoona, another resident, highlighted abandoning this project by contractor midway, leaving children without proper facilities.
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