Villagers grow cotton on govt school playground

Sat Singh

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Tribune News Service

Bhiwani, July 13

Nearly 200 girl students of Government Middle School at Atela Khurd village in the district are struggling to find a place to play as some influential members of the school management committee have grown cotton on the playground.

Ashok Kumar, Sumit Kumar and Jaswant, whose children are studying in the school, said that due to farming on nearly five acres of the school playground its wall had been demolished and students were forced to play on the road. They said: “A majority of the children belongs to the Scheduled Caste families who do not have much say in the affairs of the village. Some members of the school management committee cultivate the land and sow cotton for their use.”

Sources said that the possession of playground was the core issue during last sarpanch elections and present sarpanch Surender Sangwan, had promised to get it vacated soon after taking oath. Due to watering of the crop, the school building had developed cracks and a part of it had got demolished.

Admitting the lapse on part of the panchayat, the sarpanch said that the school management committee members had been asked to vacate the playground and by next year, they would be banished from this practice. School headmaster Surender Kumar could not be contacted on his mobile phone despite repeated calls.