NEW DELHI: After an NGO-run school in a slum cluster near the Pragati Maidan area was cleared on Thursday, its chairperson and students expressed distress at the situation and the uncertainty about the future.
The Sabki Pathshala Trust, which ran the school for skill development, was demolished in the drive carried out on Thursday. Neetu Singh, 35, chairperson of the school claimed that no notice for the demolition of the school was given to her. “The demolition notice was only issued for the slums, not for the school.
The school was not recognised but we should have been informed by the authorities about the demolition. Its belongings like paintings, blackboards, books, etc. have been destroyed as well. If they had asked us to remove our belongings, we would have done so.”
The locals of the area too are left without any place to go. Many former residents of the slum reported a lack of facilities like food, water and shelter after the -demolition. Jayanti Devi, 65, a former resident of the slum cluster, was aghast with the situation. “The demolition was carried out around 4:30-5:00 am when we were still asleep. We were not able to protect much of our belongings except for a couple of tables. There’s not much to eat either; we have been eating biscuits since the demolition.”
The priest of a temple and cow shelter, which was not demolished, said, “We are also fighting our own case in the court. Our structures were not demolished in the drive because we are recognised by the authorities.”