MARGAO: Demanding that the government prepare an action plan to undertake repairs and renovations of all the schools in a time-bound manner, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao on Wednesday called for conducting structural and safety audits of the remaining 663 schools immediately.
He stated that misplaced priorities and obsession for events of the BJP government has resulted in 92 school buildings posing risk to the safety of students and 663 out of 1,315 schools are functioning without conducting structural and safety audits.
The rent of various schools amounting to Rs 8.06 crore have not been paid for the last many years due to government’s bankruptcy. Twenty schools and a higher secondary school are in dilapidated condition, he charged.
Yuri said that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, who also holds the education portfolio, should focus on maintaining and building “Temples of Education” rather than spending public funds on creating monuments and organising events.
“The rents of various schools and colleges including international Sadguru Gurukulam Middle School Kundaim, Goa College of Theatre Arts and Swami Brahmanand Mahavidyalaya are not paid due to shortage of funds,” he claimed.
As claimed by LoP, most of the structural audit and safety reports of various schools have pointed out that schools are without compound walls, roofs need urgent repairs, there is no proper fire safety equipment installed and they lack basic amenities such as toilets and washrooms.
The government has not done structural and safety audits of three special schools in Salcete, three in Quepem and one in Bicholim till date. This shows the government’s apathy towards persons with disabilities, Yuri pointed out.
