Govt sanctions Rs 16 cr for Nurmahal school building

The staff and 350 students of Government Senior Secondary School (Co-Education) at Nurmahal can heave a sigh of relief as the Punjab Government has informed the Punjab Human Rights Commission (PHRC) that it has sanctioned an amount of Rs 16.01 crore for the completion of the construction of the school building.

The report originates from the office of the Director of School Education (Secondary) and was conveyed to the commission. The director had earlier submitted that Rs 16.01 crore had been demanded from the Finance Department for approval.

Nakodar-based social activist Aditiya Bhatara had filed a complaint in September 2023 with the commission, alleging the construction work of the new school building had been lying stalled for the last seven years. Justice Sant Parkash, Chairperson of the Commission, had heard the case.

Former Nakodar MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala had laid the foundation for the construction of the new building on December 14, 2016. New construction became necessary as the school faced a shortage of classrooms after the demolition of a condemned building in 2012.

Some NRIs of the area and the state government jointly made efforts to start the construction of the new building, for which the municipal council had donated 14 kanals and 17 marlas of land to the Education Department.

NRI Raj Nayyar had donated Rs 10 lakh for the construction of the school building.

The Director General of School Education (DGSE) had released Rs 1.14 crore for the construction works in October 2013, following directions of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission.

The school principal had received Rs 57 lakh in 2013, which was then deposited in the accounts of the Public Works Department.

Any construction work incurring a cost of over 50 lakh is undertaken by the PWD. Before today’s development it was reported that the PWD had completed 50 per cent of the work, and that the work was stalled only when the Finance Department did not release the remainder of the funds required.