Sakib Dass
Anantnag: Contrary to the government claims to make education affordable for all as many as thirty students in South Kashmir’s Anantang district apparently were deprived from the basic rights of education after authorities merged their primary school under the faulty rationalization policy.
The concrete school building once used to educate the local children in Dawoodpora, Ranipora village of Anantnag has now turned into a storage space for local fruit growers.
The inhabitants of the locality are aghast with the decision of government maintaining that their wards are forced to walk a long distance to attend the school and it becomes difficult in hostile weather conditions.
The locals claim that after the merging of school many local students enrolled in it refused to join the new school and decided to give up studies midway. Their concerns were overlooked and no official according to locals visited the premises to understand the issue.
“We approached the concerned authorities and apprised them of our concerns. But so far no one has taken cognizance of it,” said the local villager Bashir Ahmad.
In absence of any activity at the abandoned building the villagers are using the space for the fruit packing illegally.
“Today the premise of the school is used for fruit packing. If the rain starts, they will shift inside the building for fruit packing and will occupy the government property illegally. We appeal the authorities to shift back the school into the building where our children are offered basic education from last so many years,” the local demanded.
Meanwhile, the Chief Education Officer, Anatnag, G R Shah assured that he will positively look into the matter.
“There was less ratio of students studying in the primary school and it was merged with middle school as per the new rationalization policy,” he said, adding that he will still look into the matter and talk to the locals to know their grievance.
