The Newz Radar
CHAMBA: The Government Secondary School at Dharbheran, located in Dalhousie Assembly constituency of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh, is currently operating from merely two rooms, causing considerable distress to its 32 students and the teaching staff.
The pressing issue has been further compounded by recent controversies surrounding insufficient funds earmarked for the expansion of the school’s infrastructure. The Education Department recently allocated Rs 6 lakh to the school management committee (SMC) for the construction of an additional room. However, the SMC returned the funds, asserting that the allocated amount was inadequate for the construction of a new room.
The committee explained that the existing two-room school building’s construction quality prohibits the addition of further structures, rendering the Education Department’s funding insufficient. The regrettable state of affairs stems from the alleged careless construction of the school building a few years ago, which poses safety concerns when attempting to add a room above the existing two rooms.
Questions have risen over the oversight and responsibility of the government agency entrusted with the construction, prompting concerns about why the agency failed to fulfill its responsibilities. Presently, students at the school find themselves studying outdoors, and during rainy days, they are cramped into the limited space available. The school, inaugurated in 2014, operated in a private building until last year when it finally got its own premises. However, the current challenges persist, hindering the students’ access to a safe and conducive learning environment.
Virendra Kumar, SMC president, explained that the Rs 6 lakh received for construction had been returned to Block Elementary Education Officer, Saloni. Kumar emphasised that the allocated amount was insufficient to construct a new room on the existing building’s roof. To address this, additional funding was required to build a new room at a different location.
Parents, teachers, and local residents are now urging swift action from the Education Department and relevant authorities to resolve the pressing issues at the school. Until a comprehensive solution is implemented, the well-being and educational progress of the students remain at risk
