100 Days of darkness

Once a model school, Rasoolpura Government School’s fortunes have taken a bad turn and the future of 750 students is uncertain

We had carried a report titled ‘A school for scandal’ on July 1, which stated that the Government School at Rasoolpura had been living in the dark as a sum of Rs 9,000 was not paid towards electricity charges. Education department officials had then said that they were head over heels about bifurcation. Two-and-a-half months have passed; there is absolutely no change in the situation. However, the officials have stuck to their word; they haven’t gone over bifurcation blues, even after KCR completed 100 days as chief minister

The Government School at Rasoolpura was in the news in the month of March as it had attracted US Consulate-General, Michael Mullins, who visited it on March 21, 2014, and had praised the water conservation efforts by the students. Six months later, the fortunes have turned and sour. The much lauded school now reeks of stink, craves for water and is mugging in darkness, just because an electricity bill of Rs 9,000 hasn’t been cleared.

For the past two-and-a-half months, around 750 students of the school are braving scorching heat and foul smell. Fans and lights in the school premises aren’t working and there is no water in the toilets. Hapless students have no choice but to defecate in the open. The school is in darkness as the electricity department has cut off the power over non-payment of dues.

The power supply was snapped back in the month of May and the school authorities cared a hoot, stating vacations. Members of Basti Vikas Manch (BVM), a NGO which works for the development of people in slums, say that if the school authorities were alert, then this wouldn’t have happened.

“We went along with the school authorities to meet the then DEO, Subba Reddy, and gave a representation. He said that he had cleared the file but it was lying with the clearance section. They had not made the payment because the department was busy with the bifurcation issues and until those issues were solved, the payment would be held back,” informed Shaik Nayeem, convenor, BVM.

The former DEO had cleared the file immediately and it has been gathering dust ever since at the education department. When contacted, a senior official reiterated that bifurcation blues have held up the payment. The bifurcation is over, a new government has been elected to power and KCR has completed 100 days as chief minister, yet the bifurcation blues reign at the education department much to the chagrin of the students. This is despite the Central Government making Right to Education mandatory, Modi unveiling his ‘Swachch Bharat’ plan and KCR offering free education from KG to PG!