Narrow footpath poses danger to school children in Anantnag Village,authorities in deep slumber

Sameer Ahmad

Anantnag: As part of the government’s efforts, various schemes have been launched to provide quality education to the students, but in some of the schools in the Anantnag district, the students are not getting any benefit from them, even after huge funds have been spent on the projects.

A very glaring example of such neglect is the girl students attending the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya boarding school in Hanji Danter in Anantnag District, which has been neglected and has been deprived of facilities as per the norms set by the union government under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) program.).

As of now, there are 45 students studying up to the 8th standard in the school, and four teachers including the headmistress.

As per sources, there is no other passage to the school except for a narrow footpath, which causes difficulties for students while commuting. Moreover, there is another Government Middle School and Panchayat Ghar located on the same road that is facing the same problem.

Talking to the Arising State, Deputy Sarpanch, Village Hanji Danter Rayees Sofi said that all the parameters for the KGBV School, Government Middle School, and the Panchayat Ghar School are as per the requirement; However, access to these institutions is an issue due to the poor road network leading to them. It is a narrow footpath the children have to tread in order to reach the school. On the approach side of the road, which is narrow and adjacent to steep water (Nard), the children may experience trouble at any time they try to reach the school’, he said.

Added that the school lacks a boundary wall, which compromises the safety of the students studying there since girls are particularly susceptible in such a situation where a school without a well-constructed road is seen as an invitation to trouble.

Further, ‘in the event of an accident like a fire, how will the firemen and other servicemen approach the buildings or reach the scene in a timely manner?’, he added.

‘We have contacted the higher-ups several times, but none of our efforts yielded any results.’

Meanwhile, ZEO Anantnag Suram Chand while talking to Arising state assured that he will take up the issue with authorities, hopefully, the issue of the road and boundary wall of the KGBV and Government Middle school will be resolved very soon, he said.