Vizianagaram : Schools without compound walls face security threat

Vizianagaram : Though the AP government has been spending crores of rupees to develop the schools in all aspects under Nadu-Nedu programme, but some works are being kept incomplete at some schools.

Actually, the government has identified 1,060 schools in phase one to provide all amenities like drinking water, toilets with running water and sitting furniture like benches, chairs and sophisticated black boards and others.

As of now Rs 255 crore has been sanctioned and Rs 198 crore was released to the schools. But the government didn't include the construction of compound walls in this package and the walls have to be undertaken under MGNREGA.

But those works have been stalled due to several reasons including delay in the release of pending biills. So the compound walls have not been built in some schools like Siripuram upper primary school in Gantyada mandal.

This school has 105 students up to class eight and it has 10 teachers. The school was provided a facelift under Nadu-Nedu and drinking water, toilets and other facilities including furniture were provided but the compound wall has not been constructed.

As a result, stray dogs and cattle have been entering into the school premises and the students fear to come out of their classrooms and play in the ground. Under the condition of anonymity, a school representative at Siripuram UP school stated, "Due to lack of a compound wall, the properties like electrical switches and water taps have been damaged by the miscreants. Even the saplings we planted also were uprooted by rogues. If there is a compound wall, our school would be protected well and students also would feel safe," she said.

Similarly, the Government High School at Srungavarapukota which has a strength of 460 students also was well developed but it has been deprived of a compound wall. The school has around 460 students up to Class-10. As of now Rs 54.29 lakh was spent to provide facilities but they didn't construct the compound wall. As a result, the cattle and stray dogs are entering the school and spoiling the premises.

Y Appa Rao, the headmaster of this school, says that compound wall is necessary and its impossible to secure the properties without compound wall. The miscreants enter the school during evenings and spoil the premises.

Even the rainwater also gets stagnated in the ground as the school has no channels to divert the rainwater. "The students cannot play or we can't conduct any programme at the ground as the entire area turns into a pond," he said.