MAHABUBABAD: The students of the Tribal Welfare Primary School at Kongaragidda village under Gudur mandal in Mahabubabad district can now heave a sigh of relief as the authorities concerned have finally started taking steps to improve the basic infrastructure of the school building. Thanks to the swift response by MAUD Minister and TRS working president KT Rama Rao, who came to know that the students were being forced to study under the open sky in the school’s playground owing to the dilapidated condition of classrooms in the school building, the structure is all set to get a facelift.
The Minister learned about the hardships being faced by the students via Twitter, when someone shot a video of the school building and tweeted it while tagging Rama Rao’s official handle.
Rama Rao responded immediately and directed Mahabubabad Collector K Shashanka to inspect the school and take care of the children.
As per the Minister’s directions, Shashanka and the officials of Tribal Welfare Department visited the tiny village of Kongaragidda on Thursday and inspected the building.
During the visit, they learnt that all 44 students of the school were being forced to study without a roof in the school’s playground, as all classrooms were in a dilapidated condition. Sadly, the students also have midday meals in such open areas.
According to the school staff, the current building, comprising classrooms, a staff room and a assembly hall, was constructed in the year 1987 with an aim to provide quality education to tribal schoolchildren. However, no government that came to power afterwards made any budgetary provision to improve the basic infrastructure of the school. From a roof that looks as if it will come crashing down any moment to shortage of seats and walls that might collapse, the staffers and students are scared to even step inside the building.
‘Contractor fled with money’
Speaking to Express, a school staffer who wished to remain anonymous alleged that though the authorities allocated Rs 5 lakh to construct a new building under the Rajiv Vidhya Mission (RVM), following which a contractor took up the works and erected concrete pillars, the latter stopped the construction midway after withdrawing the entire money.
The staffer also alleged that the then school headmaster had a hand in the fraud. “Though the contractor never continued the construction works, only Rs 93,000 is remaining in the account into which the authorities credited the entire Rs 5 lakh,” the employee added.
All works will be over in 2 months: Collector
When contacted, Collector K Shashanka said that the pending works would be completed in to months. He too admitted that the previous headmaster colluded with the contractor and fleeced the authorities of over Rs 4 lakh released for the construction of a new school building. “We will carry out an inquiry and take stern action against them,” he said and added that the classes would be shifted to the community hall once they resume the works