Rs 86 lakh sanctioned to renovate 8 unsafe school buildings

RUDRAPUR: Eight out of a total 22 dilapidated government school buildings in US Nagar district in Uttarakhand will soon be renovated. The directorate of education has sanctioned Rs 86 lakh for the purpose, and the fund will soon be transferred to the account of US Nagar district education department. Neeta Tiwari, chief education officer of the district said funds will be sanctioned to renovate the other dilapidated school buildings.
Several government schools in the district are in a dilapidated condition. Earlier, a survey was carried out by the directorate of education and 22 such schools were found in shabby conditions and were declared unsafe for running classes in March this year by the Uttarakhand directorate of education. Orders were also issued to the district administration to make alternative arrangements for holding classes.
TOI had raised this issue in July, during the rainy season, when classes in these schools were held in unsafe buildings that had cracks on ceilings and damp walls, with plaster falling from the ceilings. This despite the order to shift the classes to safer buildings.
Talking to TOI, CEO Neeta Tiwari confirmed that Rs 86 lakh has been allocated for renovation of eight dilapidated schools in the district. These schools include three from Sitarganj (namely Government Inter College Sitarganj, Kasturba Gandhi Govt Girls School and Govt Inter College, Bichuva). Five other schools are Govt Secondary School in Gadarpur, Govt Inter College In Baraa (Kiccha), Govt Inter College in Haripuraharsaan (Bazpur), Govt Inter College Sanyasiyonvala (Jaspur) and Govt Secondary School In Bakhpur ( Rudrapur).
Basic Education Officer (BEO) of US Nagar D C Sati said the rest of the schools will be repaired soon. "We are communicating with the education directorate and seeking for early release of funds," he said.
Additional director of education (Kumaon) Vandana Garbyal told TOI that in the first phase, schools that are in a very bad condition will be renovated. The department will soon repair other school buildings and till then strict orders have been issued to assistant education officers in the district to shift the students to safer buildings such as panchayat bhawans and community centres, Garbyal said.