Villagers lock ‘unsafe’ govt school building in Udhampur

Jammu, Aug 2: The villagers of Rassain in Block Ghordi of District Udhampur allegedly locked the building of Government High School in their village claiming that it was ‘unsafe’ and posing a serious threat to the safety of students.

According to the villagers, the school was operating with three classrooms that have significantly deteriorated over time, with large cracks visible on the walls and ceilings.

“The children’s lives and education are at risk due to the dilapidated structure, prompting us to take drastic measures and lock down the school building,” the villagers claimed. They said that providing quality education in rural areas must always be a priority, but this deplorable state of the school building contradicts the tall claims made by the Education Department.

Meanwhile, the villagers demanded the construction of a new and secure school building that will ensure a conducive learning environment for the students of Panchayat Rassain.

“The closure of the Government High School has put to a halt the education of the students for the last three days. The disruption has raised further urgency for the authorities to intervene and find a prompt resolution to the issue,” the villagers said.

Sukhdev Kumar, one of the students said the situation in three classrooms was adverse and they were extensively damaged with large cracks developing on the walls. He said that this condition of the school has also affected the studies of the students.” Therefore, the education department should construct /repair the damaged rooms immediately.”

“The school has been opened, and we made the needed arrangement for the students,” said Chief Education Officer, Udhampur, Geetu Bangotra. She admitted that the building was unsafe and added that they have made the arrangement. She however denied that the villagers had locked the building.