Follow-Up
By: Ahmad Shabir
Anantnag: Even as the district administration in Anantnag demarcated the land for the construction of government middle school in Takibal village of Bijbehara twice in last four years but the refusal of PHE officials to issue no objection certificate (NOC) continues to be a hurdle in the process.
The hurdles being created by some PHE officials in getting the required land transferred to Education Department, according to villagers, is forcing the children to study in the unsafe and unhygienic rented rooms breeding insects and germs.
Having been established in 1960, the school is one of the oldest schools in education zone Bijbehara. Since its upgradation as middle school in 2008, the villagers and teachers posted in the school have been making all the efforts to get the building for the school sanctioned and constructed.
Since the village is landless, the villagers and teachers few years ago in their application identified the land for the school building near a water supply scheme presently under the occupation of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department. The district administration sought reports about the availability and status of the land from tehsil level revenue officials. Following the submission of report by the ground level revenue officials, district administration ordered the demarcation of the land. “In last several years district admin carried out demarcation of the land meant for school building, measuring 1 kanal 7 marlas twice but the same was never transferred as some officials of PHE created hurdles in the process,” villagers said.
Teachers posted in the school said that there are at least seven marlas of land available. “Construction of school will require one kanal as has been demarcated already but few lower rung officials are creating unnecessary hurdles in the construction of school building despite all the top officers in both the district admin and even PHE department being in favor of the same,” teachers said.
A teacher said that even SE hydrolics who is supposed to issue NOC told them recently that he will be happy to see a school building being constructed there. “If school building comes up there and students get benefited, I will be happy,” the SE, according to teachers told them.
However, when the document reached lower rung PHE officials for report, a teacher said, they denied the same once again.
“These officials are misleading not only their higher ups telling them that they have to construct a water reservoir. Even if that is true, enough land is available for that also,” the teacher said.
The villagers also pleaded their case in gram sabha on Tuesday and told the officials in one voice that they want construction of school building on the land after which Tehsildar concerned held a meeting with both villagers and PHE officials.
A villager told Precious Kashmir, Deputy Commissioner , should himself visit the spot and see for himself how much land is available and what is the condition of the rented accommodation where children are taught.
A source in the district admin said that ACR and Tehsildar Bijbehara will personally visit the spot after which the decision which will be in the interest of the people will be taken. “DC sahab has taken a note of the issue. He is very serious in uplifting the education. ACR is also very keen in getting the issue resolved,” the source said.
