Students of the Government High School at BK Guda, Sanathnagar have a rather unusual ‘task’ to perform when they reach the school every day.
Before opening their books, they along with the school staff have the `responsibility’ of clearing liquor bottles, gudumba packets and cigarettes which lie scattered all over! Nearly 800 students belonging to both Telugu and Urdu media attend the school. With officials of the Rangareddy district collectorate turning a Nelson’s eye to the urgent need for construction of a portion of the compound wall of the school, the premises has turned into a den for anti-social elements who use it as a bar by night.
Sources told Expresso that after repeated requests by some locals, the district authorities recently consented to construct a wall but nothing has materialised as yet.
“The compound wall for the school can be constructed but the funding should come voluntarily from locals,” Ranga Reddy Collector Dana Kishore said in his order.
According to Syed Nayeemuddin, general secretary of Awaaz, an NGO that has taken up the issue along with locals, anti-social elements continue to use the classrooms for illegal activities.
“They smoke ganja, drink gudumba and play cards in the classrooms.
Used condoms are also thrown around.
The school authorities and students have to clean them before conducting the classes,” Nayeemuddin reveals the gravity of the situation.
A few months ago, the school headmaster had brought the issue to the notice of the Project Director, Rajiv Vidya Mission through a letter Copies were also sent to the District Education Officer and the District Collector. “The compound wall might cost around Rs 1.5 lakh. But the DEO expressed helplessness in allocating the funds,” Nayeemuddin claimed.
Based on a letter written by the members of Awaaz to the Rajya Sabha Secretary General, the authorities had informed the then Chief Secretary P Ramakanth Reddy to consider the request for construction of the compound wall. Earlier, the issue was also brought to the notice of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) but the matter is still pending. With government not responding to their pleas, the locals are making arrangements to construct the wall with their own contributions.
