 Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
Kishtwar, May 12: Protesting against the non-availability of drinking water in their institution, students of a private school blocked the Kishtwar-Paddar road here today.
While they protested, Kishtwar DC Ghulam Nabi Balwan slammed the school management for provoking them to lodge the protest over non-availability of drinking water, saying the school had no registered commercial water connection.
The students assembled outside their school premises and blocked the Kishtwar-Paddar road for hours together. However, after police and district administration threatened to lodge an FIR against the school management in wake of a report submitted by the tehsildar, the students lifted their dharna.
While talking to Early Times, some parents claimed that their children were forced by the school management to go for protest without their consent. The charge was, however, denied by the school management.
The DC later summoned the school management, including principal, and warned them to recommend the cancellation of registration of school in case such things were repeated in future.
"You are charging fee from students-- it is your responsibility to arrange water for them and I am told by PHE officials that you have no registered commercial water connection," Balwan said to the school management.
When contacted, the DC said the protest was the handiwork of school management and putting the lives of minor children at risk was a grave offence.
"Parents are sending their children to schools for education and not to lodge protests," he said. "The school has a strength of about 900 students and it is not possible for PHE officials to provide water for such a huge number of students. School is charging fee from students and it should make alternative arrangements, like water tanker facility. A warning has been issued to school management not to do so in future," he added. |
