School buildings

Sir,

Despite a huge expenditure incurred on education there are thousands of schools which lack their own buildings atleast as per a news report published in this paper (Feb 6). It is reported that there are nearly five thousand primary, upper primary, high and higher secondary schools across the State which are without their own buildings. This situation is not conductive to the overall development of the educational infrastructure in the State. Although huge sums are being spent to develop school infrastructure in the state. Such statistics do not reflect that anything worthwhile has been done so far. It is true that between 1990 to 1997 many schools were torched but the above number is far more than the number of schools that were torched or damaged in militancy related activities. It is amazing that in addition to the absence of own school buildings there was no provision of basic amneties like drinking water and even toilets.
Schools are the cradles where the coming generations are to be educated and nurtured into respectable and meaningful citizens. It is high time that we devise a highly effective pragmatic plan so that the schools are built so that adequate provisions of drinking water, toilets etc are built in these schools. Own school buildings mean own study rooms, library, laboratory, school office and a teachers room. What would a school look like if such very basic facilities are not in place. Will that school which lacks the barest minimum facilities attract students. It will repel them and make them unsafe. Worst part will be that such measely schools will make an unsafe future.

Yours etc...
Gulab Singh Narwal Jammu

Model villages

Sir,
Although considerable progress has been achieved in the country as a result of which hundreds of urban centres have flourished in the country yet it is an unmistakable fact that India still is a land of villages. With about seventy percent population living in the villages it is highly important that the upliftment of villages be made a focussed programme.
If village are not developed then there will be no stop to the huge exfiltration of people from villages to the cities. This trend has gained more momentum in the last three or four decades.
The result is now the cities are full of people. Sanitation and drinking water are now under pressure in their cities. If the trend goes out of control then we will have a situation where there will be less people in the rural areas than they were previously.
In this connection a news report was published in this paper (Feb 5) in which it has been said that 90% of model villages will be completed by March this year.
Model villages can present before us a viable village which can cater to its needs in view of the modern context so that the population living in the rural areas does not migrate to the urban areas.
Efforts have to be made so that these model villages are completed on time and further villages are developed on these lines so that the State makes an allround development.

Yours etc...
Gharu Ram
Kotbalwal Jammu