16 years on, high school building in Asham still incomplete

Bandipora, Dec 14: Even after the passing of sixteen years, the government high school constructed at Asham area of Sumbal in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district is still incomplete, locals complained on Tuesday.
Details available reveal that the construction work of the high school was started in 2005 at an estimated cost of Rs 75 Lakh but despite passing of almost 16 years the building is yet to be completed as the government left the construction work mid-way and the building has been left unattended.
Locals said that due to the ill attention of higher authorities the smooth functioning of the school had been suffering badly for a long time.
The locals said that the school is functioning in an old building which is in a dilapidated condition thus leaving both students and teachers vulnerable.
“The condition of the present school is getting worse each passing day,” they said.
“We have approached the administration about the issue many times but nothing has happened so far. I n the end the future of our children is getting affected, ” Masrat, a local said.
She said that the slow pace of work carried out by the government has left the project languishing. “In 2013 they (administration) restarted the construction of the building but later left it again,” she said.
Mushtaq Ahmad, another local said that the building is now in complete shambles with broken windows and doors and in absence of watch and ward the building apparently looks like a ghost house.
The locals and students appealed to the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha to personally look into the matter and ask the concerned department to expedite the construction work and complete the project without any further delay.
Meanwhile officials at CEO office Bandipora said that they will look into the matter while an R&B official also assured that the necessary measures will be taken for the same.