by Sameer Ahmad
Anantnag: A Government Middle school in Takiyabal Bijbehara village in South Kashmir’s Anantnag District is housed in a three-room mud building, being utilized for classrooms till 8th class. The school lacks even an office, a kitchen, leave aside playground.
The Government Middle school in Takiyabal Bijbehara was established in 1966 and was upgraded from primary to middle school in year 2008.The school is located in Hometown of Ex Chief Minister of PDP Mehbooba Mufti with a total roll of 70 students.
There are seven teachers including headmistress posted in the school.
While the shabby building, in a despicable situation lacks all basic facilities a school must have even a toilet is not available for students.
“The mud house, which serves as a school, is a rented accommodation,” a teacher said.
“The children of the poor like us are left at God’s mercy,” said a student of the school.
Eleven years have passed after its ‘upgradation’ but the ‘lackadaisical approach of officials has not changed’.
“Rats and insects are our class mates,” a student sarcastically commented.
Chief Education Officer Anantnag Nasir Ahmad said that the government has already taken initiative to make three room building with cost of Rs 7.79 lacks in village and have already received sanction and allotment for the new building ‘but the people of the said area didn’t cooperate and provide us land there.’
“We tried and applied to district administration Anantnag to provide us state land in said area so that we will make the new school building. But there is some state land in area who has been occupied by PHE Department. We took up the case with District commissioner Anantnag requesting him to provide us two kanal state land,”Ahmad claimed.
According to Ahmad they have not received any response from the district administration.
“I am requesting to the people of the said area please provide us either state land or permit us to change old building with new building,” Ahmad appealed.
