School for poor relocated to a 'palace'

On Thursday, when the world was celebrating International Literacy Day, these tiny tots from the downtrodden section got a new address of their school, Prathmik Vidyalaya, Rukunpura, relocated from a dilapidated building to the confiscated house of the suspended IAS officer S S Verma, at Bailey Road.

The palatial building is now a ‘temple of learning’ for these poor children, after the state government attached Verma’s house a few days back, as part of its  crusade against corrupt officers.  The Nitish regime had formally handed over the suspended IAS officer’s house to the Human Resource Development (HRD) Department after the state cabinet on Tuesday decided to open a school for the underprivileged children in the building. On Wednesday, when the District Education Officer (DEO) was formally handed over the keys of the house, a new board of the primary government school was put up. On the occasion of Literacy Day, 94 students and three teachers of the school came to the new address.

With 70 per cent children belonging to the SC/ST community, these poor kids could not hide their glee after finding their school running from a ‘palace’.

The district administration has, meanwhile, made an inventory of Verma’s belongings and kept it in a room as the bureaucrat is reported to have moved the SC for reprieve. It is believed that the division bench of the apex court comprising Justice D S Bhandari and Justice Deepak Verma will hear the case on September 12.