Unsafe school buildings yet to be dismantled in Gurdaspur

The buildings of 13 government schools of this district have been declared hazardous and insecure by a special committee of the district administration since the past more than a year.

However, till yet nothing tangible has been done to dismantle these structures, thereby endangering the lives of schoolchildren.

The Gurdaspur administration’s special committee had physically identified these unsafe buildings.

Taking cognisance of the committee’s report, on September 5 last year, the District Education Officer (DEO) had written a letter to Block Primary Education Officers (BPEOs), telling them to dismantle these buildings.

Fifteen months later, the students are still studying in these schools, oblivious of the fact that their lives are in danger.

Dinanagar MLA Aruna Chaudhary said, when she came to know of the development, she shot off missives to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Aditya Uppal, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) and the DEO pointing out the structural defects.

She has also attached a list of the unsafe structures with her letter. DC Uppal said he was apprised of the situation and was taking remedial measures in this connection.

DEO Paramjit Kaur, who holds the dual charge of primary and secondary education said, “I am busy in a meeting with the Deputy Commissioner. Hence, I cannot speak.”

“The lives of children, it seems, do not hold any importance to the Education Department. The DEO and the Block Primary Education Officers should be held directly responsible in the event of a mishap. Actually, the department is short of funds. But this is not the fault of the children. The authorities will wake up only after a tragedy befalls the students. This is a disaster in the making. Parents are asking what the DEO is doing about it,” said Amarjit Singh, a spokesperson of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF).