Govt school in Amlala village functions from ‘unsafe’ building

On the edge: Lives of 367 students, teachers in danger as building had been declared unsafe by the PWD over a year ago, rains have increased the risk

A Government senior secondary school at Amlala village near Dera Bassi continues to run from a dilapidated building declared "unsafe" by the Public Works Department (PWD) almost a year ago.

With no alternative arrangement, as many as 367 students and teachers of the school are being forced to risk their lives by studying in rooms. The warning "unsafe, sitting inside prohibited" is boldly written on the doors.

With wide cracks in the walls and roofs, the four-decade-old building is on the verge of collapsing but repeated requests to the administration have not yet yielded any response, claims the school staff.

Six of the total 13 rooms had been declared as unsafe by the PWD on August 21, 2009, when the building was vacated and classes were shifted to the open but vagaries of the weather have forced students and teachers to return.

"Since students were exposed to rain and heat in the open, parents raised objections and some villagers even got repairs conducted at their own cost. The temporary arrangements, however, were also washed away in the recent incessant rains," said a faculty member.

"Heavy rains have deteriorated the condition of the classrooms, the roofs of which have been leaking. The situation is as bad inside as it is outside. Not only are the studies of students being affected but even their lives are at stake due to the miserable condition of the building," complained Ranjeet Kaur, a parent.

School principal Parneet Kaur said on bringing the matter to the notice of the Education department, they were told to hold some classes at the village dharamsala. Due to limited teachers in the school, however, the classes could not be divided. "The issue was even brought to the notice of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal but in vain," she added.

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