TIRUPPUR: The education of tribal children of Kuzhipatti settlement within the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) has been affected due to the lack of a proper school building.
A government primary school with 15 students is being run from a house in the village owing to the poor condition of its building. Similarly, the village anganwadi is also functioning in this house.
The tribal community demanded the authorities to raze the existing school building and construct a new building. They also demanded the construction of an anganwadi building along with the school.
More than 100 families reside in Kuzhipatti which is one of the 15 tribal settlements in the Udumalai forest range of the ATR, said N Manikandan, the Treasurer of the Tamil Nadu Tribal People's Association.
"The government primary school building is in danger of collapsing at any moment. The school has been operating in a house in that village as a precaution for a long time. A new building should be constructed as the education of tribal children has been affected in the absence of a proper facility."
An official source said "15 students study in the primary school and two teachers have been appointed for them. As the school building is in such bad condition, the school is being run at a home in that village. Both the teachers stay and work in the village five days a week. On weekends they come down from the hill and go to their native place. Similarly, there is no building for the anganwadi there. Anganwadi functions in the same house where the school functions."
K Mazharvizhi, Project Director of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), said, "We are ready to build a school building in the village. But we cannot do any work without an NoC from the forest department. It is a hindrance for us."
B Rajesh, Deputy Director of ATR (Tiruppur Forest Division), said "If DRDA applies to renovate an existing government building or construct a school building, we will immediately grant permission. But they have to apply for it formally."