PERAMBALUR: It is little wonder if the Panchayat Union Primary School at Veppur in Olaipadi panchayat isn’t passed off for a gaushala. Parents of the students and concerned locals complain of cattle being tied up to the padashala’s entrance gate and by the compound mindlessly for at least a year.
It is not just the animal excreta that the 112 students in Classes 1-5 have to put up with but also the stench from a garbage bin nearby. Anti-social activities abound too, they complain and point to how all these happen under the nose of the village administrative officer (VAO), whose office is a stone's throw away.
T Sathyaseelan, the father of a Class 5 student, said, "The school entrance is poorly maintained. Iron rods are tethered to the ground to tie up cows. At least 10 cattle can be found tied around the school compound. As one tidies up the premises, students are forced to step on dung while entering and leaving school every day. This causes infection. My son has suffered it."
Also pointing to a garbage bin in front of the school, Sathyaseelan said, “There is a strong stench permeating the classrooms while children study. The school has turned into a cattle shed. This affects the student's education. The VAO’s office is just before the school. He hasn’t, however, taken any action," he added.
V Chellamuthu, a resident, said, "My relative's children are also studying at the school. Some students play with the cattle as they are tied up to the main gate. It is dangerous. Neither the school management nor those who tether the animals there care. Further, alumni intrude into the school premises during school holidays to consume alcohol and leave the bottles there. The teachers are forced to clear them regularly."
While complaints have been raised several times with the VAO, Veppur BDO and the Collectorate, no action has been taken, the parents said.
When enquired, a senior school education department official in Perambalur expressed ignorance of the issue and assured The New Indian Express that it would be taken up with the collector.