Villagers and students smell rat in school furniture deal
N & M Correspondent
Swadesh Nagar, Feb 22: A few months after Andaman Sheekha had reported about the condition of Government Swadesh Nagar School, Middle Andaman, where students are made to sit on the floor. Now the Education Department has sent inferior quality materials, for assembling those into desks and benches for the school, villagers allege.
According to information received here a few days back workers of a private furniture shop of Bhatu Basti, which got the tender for supply of furniture for the school, arrived at Swadesh Nagar Schools with truck load of furniture parts.
According to Villagers and PRI members of the area, most of the parts of the furniture look horrible thin and feeble. The Timber used for the furniture is also believed to be of inferior quality and with that the workers are reportedly fixing lowest quality of plywood.
But as the workers started assembling the furniture, entire village started to protest. Infact a few parents had also approached officials of Directorate of Education but they did not get any reply yet.
Even the principal of the school have accepted on record that the quality of the timber and plywood being used for school furniture are of inferior quality. The principal has also informed the villagers that the matter has been informed to the top officials of Education Department.
When Andaman Sheekha Correspondent contacted the owner of the Private Furniture shop, the owner’s reply shocked everybody.
“I accept that the quality of timber is not good but soon these inferior quality desks and benches will be replaced by us with superior quality desks and benches,” the owner replied.
But everybody knows that in government tender works promises like this are never kept. As soon as the payment for these furniture will be made and kick backs will be paid back, everybody will forget about these furniture. After few months students will again have to sit on floor while a few others at Port Blair will make merry with the easy money earned from this deal.
To clear all doubts Andaman Sheekha is publishing photographs of these desks and benches.
Meanwhile talking to Andaman Sheekha the Secretary of Parents Teachers Association of the School has said that PTA strongly condemns the move of Education Department to send inferior quality furniture for their children.
“The desk and benches are horrible weak and our children are afraid of using them. We demand an inquiry by Anti-Corruption Department,” Amrit Lal Mistry, the Secretary of PTA association added.
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