Battle of water wages among teachers

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 20

In an ongoing tussle between two government schools— Government Primary School and Government Middle School, Chuharpur, it is the students who have been at the receiving end. According to information, around 350 students at Government Primary School are not getting drinking water.

Reason: Management of Government Middle School has cut the water connection. It has been learnt that a complaint in this regard has also been forwarded to the SHO concerned.

Suman, In-charge, Government Primary School said, “Drinking water was supplied through submersible tubewell which was installed seven years ago. Earlier, there were just 50-60 students in both schools. Now, the strength of primary school has increased upto 350 students, while in the middle school there are around 60-70 students.”

She said power line of submersible got disrupted and she arranged a water tanker by paying Rs 500. “Teachers from middle school came and asked for two-three buckets of water. We told them that the tanker is arranged by paying money and we cannot give water. They took this incident to their heart. Our water connection was cut so that we do not get water supply from submersible,” Suman said.

Suman added that she did nothing wrong and middle school too could have arranged a water tanker but cutting water connection was uncalled for.

Government Middle School Principal Gurdial Singh said water consumption by primary school was much more while bills were paid by them on regular basis.

“We are not getting funds from the panchayat or government. All the bills are paid by us. We cut their connection as strength of primary school is much more than ours. Why should we bear the burden?” he asked.

Satpal, a social worker, said Why are students made to suffer and that too for water?

“We have written to the SHO concerned but no action has been taken to date against the guilty. Students of primary school have to fetch drinking drinking water from outside the school while water is available in other school.”