More than 30 schoolchildren from Themli village in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district walked nearly 15km to Mainpur on Wednesday to demand completion of an unfinished school building, after being forced to study in a single room serving Classes 1 to 5.
The children, accompanied by their parents and local representatives from Themli under Boirgaon gram panchayat, first gathered outside the block education officer’s office. They later moved towards the sub-divisional magistrate’s office after receiving an assurance from officials, as police reached the site when the protest grew.
The agitation was called off following discussions between officials, parents and public representatives. The children, however, warned that they would boycott classes if the incomplete building was not finished.
The additional classroom was sanctioned at a cost of Rs 8.32 lakh under the previous government, according to janpad member Sukhchand Dhruv. Local representatives said that substantial payments had reportedly been released to the contractor, but construction had still not been completed.
Parents said they had repeatedly approached officials and submitted applications during government outreach programmes. The continued delay has left the students dependent on a single classroom, according to local representatives.
The protest has also drawn attention to the wider condition of school infrastructure in Mainpur, a predominantly tribal block. Information cited by local representatives indicates that the tribal development department was assigned 114 works under the School Jatan scheme, including 14 toilet projects.
The education department reportedly transferred more than Rs 6 crore to the agency for these works. Local representatives have alleged that contractors received payments disproportionate to the progress achieved at project sites. The report did not provide a project-wise breakdown of payments or the current physical status of each work.
Assistant commissioner of the tribal development department Lokeshwar Patel said action and recovery proceedings were under way after the works were reviewed. He said recovery certificates had been initiated against some contractors and that further action would be taken under the collector’s guidance.
Mainpur sub-divisional magistrate Lokansh Alma said the children and their parents had brought the issue to the administration’s notice and that the matter had been referred to senior officials for necessary action.
The immediate demand from the Themli students and their families is the completion of the sanctioned classroom. The administration’s response will determine when construction resumes and whether the broader review of School Jatan works leads to recoveries or other action against contractors.
