School, anganwadi function from dingy makeshift building

A government lower primary school and an Anganwadi at Balooru Horatti is functioning from a makeshift temporary dingy building in Mudigere taluk.

Rain, which ravaged Mudigere taluk last year, washed away the school building. No measures have been taken to construct a building for the school and the anganwadi so far.

In fact, the villagers only have provided tarpaulin and asbestos sheets to the incomplete shop building and made arrangement for the studies of the children. The teachers and students sit inside the dingy room and conduct classes.

When the building collapsed, the documents of the school were destroyed. Though officials of the Department of Public Instructions visited the spot and conducted an inspection, the proposal on the construction of the building for the school is still pending, alleged villagers.

“My brother and aunt had died in an accident. In their memory, I had constructed a shop. The shop has been entrusted for running the school,” said villager Sumitra.

SDMC president B P Venkatesh said, “We had submitted memorandums to officials, MLA and ministers to construct a new building for the school. But all our efforts went in vain.
Twelve children pursuing their studies in the school. Anganwadi has 10 kids. There are two teachers in the school. Balooru gram panchayat has constructed a temporary toilet for the school.”

When it rains, water enters the classroom. Keeping the attendance book and writing materials is a challenging task for teachers.

All the classes and school office function from a room. There are no furniture. There is none to listen to the woes of the children and teachers. Students from Balooru Horatti, Mallahalli and Kadugadde villages pursue their studies in the school. A few parents have taken transfer certificate of their children and admitted them in other
schools. The government should initiate measures to construct a building for the school, said students and villagers.

Mudigere BEO Hemantraj said, “A proposal has been submitted for the construction of three classrooms. But grants have not been released so far.”