Pulwama: A newly constructed school building in Pulwama district has developed cracks posing threat to students as well as teachers.
Locals from Payar village told news agency Kashmir News Observer that the government is putting emphasis on quality education for which better infrastructure is mandatory but no cognizance is being taken of the structures that have developed cracks despite being constructed recently.
They said that around three years ago, a school building of Government High School Payar was constructed at a cost of around 80 lakh but in no time it has developed cracks.
Shabir Ahmad, a local, said that the building was constructed by R&B department and was handed over to the School education department just two years ago.
He said that it appears the building was constructed without proper monitoring which is why it developed cracks in a short period.
Education department is equally responsible for it as they should have properly checked the building at the time when building was handed over to them, he said.
Another local said that it seems the building is decades old despite that government’s claim that about 80 lakhs were spent on it.
“The condition would not have been so, if 80 lakhs would have been spent on it,” he added
He said that both departments are responsible and due to their negligence it is putting the lives of dozens of students at risk.
An official of the education department said that they have taken up the issue with higher ups of the education and R&B department. But nothing has been done so far, he said.