Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh): Children are made to sit in cattle sheds, stages and anganwadis in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh to attend classes as their schools remain in dilapidated condition. More than 500 schools in the district continue to remain in ruins even after repeated demands for better infrastructure. The condition of the state-run schools in the tribal area is also very bad making it unfit for children to attend classes.
In the Chawalpani area in Tamia village, classes are being held in cattle sheds, stages, Anganwadi or homes due to the dilapidated condition of the school buildings. Conditions remain the same for the schools in the other regions like Pathai, Ranikachar and Amdhana. Children attend classes in Vrindavan Gaushala as the building of the Primary School in Pathai is in ruins. Classes have been held in grandstands and stages in the Ranikachar village for the past two years.
Sarita Belvanshi, the head teacher of the Primary School in Pathai said they have been demanding better infrastructure for the past four years but nothing materialised. "The school building has become dilapidated and it can fall at any time. Because water drips from the entire roof, the plaster on the walls has come off. Any kind of incident can happen at any time", she added.
Representatives of the local governing bodies also expressed their helplessness over the continued systemic negligence. Devi Patel, a member of the Janpath Gram Panchayat said that teachers are running the classes by making their arrangements since school buildings are in ruins. "A written complaint has been made to the Tamia District Panchayat. No one is paying attention since this is a primary school'', added Devi Patel.
According to Kishore Pandey, Tamia's BRC, "Schools are being set up in government buildings that are safe because of dilapidated buildings." The schools that fall under the jurisdiction of ChawalpaniGram Panchayat have similarly implemented this arrangement.
