VALPOI: For two decades the Government High School at Surla, Sattari, is being run in a small structure to the great chagrined of students and teachers.
The classrooms in the school are too small and too few to accommodate the students. Besides, the structure is also aging.
Taking into account the conditions of the present structure, the need of the school and students, the Department of Education passed a project under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, in 2010, to construct a new school building.
The cost of the project was Rs 10,25,545 and the same was to be completed within nine months.
The project consisted of ground plus first floor. However, the contractor stopped with the ground floor and failed to construct the first floor.
Mahadev Gaonkar, a villager and a parent says, “Till today, our school building is incomplete.” Moreover, the foundation of the new building is weak, he complained.
PTA Chairman Shrikant Gaonkar said, “The quality of construction is very poor and the building could fall anytime. This is a scam.”
“Of the six standards, only three are conducted in classrooms, while the fourth is conducted on the school corridor, and the remaining two are run in a rented house, says Suryakant Gaonkar, a local panch.
“The school is not properly electrified; the classes are run in dark; there is no playground and no proper toilets,” said Panch Gaonkar.
School Headmaster Kashinath Naik laments, “There are no separate rooms for library, lab, staff, headmaster and computer. All these are accommodated in a single room since one decade.”
The student strength of the school is just 79 who are studying in standards V to X.
Incidentally, Surla falls under Poreim constituency, a political fortress of former chief minister Pratapsing Rane.
