NEW DELHI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday wrote to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the death of a schoolgirl bitten by a snake inside her classroom, saying the school's "crumbling infrastructure" needed urgent attention of the state government.
The snake was hiding inside a burrow of the classroom wall before it bit Shehala Sherin, a Class V student of the Sarvajana Higher Secondary School in Sulthan Bathery.
"One of the oldest high schools in Sulthan Bathery, Sarvajana Higher Secondary School's crumbling infrastructure requires the urgent attention of the state government.
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The absence of a conducive learning environment demoralises students and parents alike," Gandhi, Congress MP from Wayanad, said in the letter.
He said since Kerala has been a pioneer in establishing quality public schools, the state government and the General Education Department should conduct an infrastructure audit of public schools in the Wayanad parliamentary constituency.
"I also urge the government to formulate a time-bound action plan for infrastructure upgradation of Sarvajana HSS, and other public schools in Wayanad. I will also be pleased to provide the requisite support for the upgradation of this school under MPLADS," Gandhi said.
The Congress leader also requested the state government to provide compensation to the family of the victim.
"I hope that the state government takes the necessary measures to ensure that no parent has to bear the pain of such a preventable tragedy again," he said.