Students protest for new school building in MP's Chhatarpur

BHOPAL: Three days after the much-hyped Mil Banchey campaign of the state government, more than 400 students staged a protest for a new school building in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh.
Students of Naharpur Government Higher Secondary School fear for their safety after two classrooms collapsed during the on-going monsoon season. They are huddled up in the remaining four classrooms.
The school is located about 100 kilometres away from the district headquarters of Chhatarpur town and no students turned up during the Mil Banchey campaign on Saturday.On that day, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and all his cabinet colleagues conducted classes in government-run schools across the state.
“We have locked the school on Monday and are sitting outside the building. We are demanding a new school building for a long time but the administration has not yet woken up,” a student told TOI over phone.
“The school was constructed in 1987 and got higher secondary status in 2013. However, there was no increase in the number of classrooms. Children from nine neighbouring villages are forced to study in the old and dilapidated building,” Jairam Patel, the village sarpanch said.
He said though two additional rooms were constructed under public private partnership (PPP), they collapsed in July.
“Students from three different classes share the same classroom. They have been complaining for long and we have also appraised the local administration but in vain,” Patel said.
“The existing rooms are in a precarious condition and there is no laboratory for science students,” said Rajni Singh, a student.
“When there is no water for the school toilet that always remains dirty, the question for drinking water does not arise,” said Shubham Singh, another student.
On Monday, students reached the school, carrying banners with the names of villages from where they come to study. The banners had the words ‘dharna pradarshan’ written on them.
“We will continue our protest till we are promised of a new building in writing from the district collector, said Rishikesh Rajak, another student.
District collector Ramesh Bhandari told TOI, “We are sending a proposal to the state government for a new school building. I would want the students to give up their agitation and let the school function.”