Rajasthan News: Sirohi district of Rajasthan is known for the only hill station of the state, Mount Abu, and the government school of a village situated in the foothills of this Mount Abu is running in a hut. The situation of cruelty is such that the children of the village situated in the lap of Mount Abu, whose temperature reaches minus in December and the icy winds here make the body shiver, are forced to study in a hut open from all sides.

A primary school is running in a hut in village Simti Kheda Fali of Gram Panchayat Krishnaganj, just 30 km away from Sirohi district headquarters. The fear of the wild animals roaming in the hilly area surrounded by forest on all sides haunts the children daily. Moreover, in four years, the government has not been able to provide electricity, water and roads, let alone build a school building here. Whereas, two years ago, the leaders had laid the foundation stone for the school building here. But, due to the presence of Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, permission for building construction has not been successful in getting it.

School records also have to be kept in the bag

A government primary school was approved and started operating in Simti Kheda Fali, a tribal dominated area, on 14 September 2021. Since the school did not have its own building, resident Jeparam Dewasi allowed the school to be run in his house. Three years later, after his son got married, he got the school vacated. Seeing where the children should go to study, the villagers built a hut, in which the school has been running for about two years. Meanwhile, the foundation stone of the school building was also laid on 26 August 2023, but the work got stuck due to a dispute over the route to bring the material.

Even after a year of change of government, this dispute has not been resolved and innocent children are forced to study in scorching heat, leaking roof in rain and now shivering in winter. Due to lack of school building, the enrollment number has come down from 67 to 37. Jetharam Chaudhary, a teacher of Simti Kheda Fali, said that the school has problems of electricity, water, road and building. Two teachers are working here for teaching. School records also have to be kept in a bag.

We have to take leave during rains, dogs have attacked us

Due to the absence of a school building, children have to suffer with the change in weather. As soon as it rains, the school has to be closed due to the hut leaking. During summers, holidays have to be declared due to the fear of accidents due to the hut collapsing or falling apart during storms. Holidays have to be declared even during extreme heat and hot winds.

Right now, in the winter season, it is extremely cold till late in the morning, in which the children start shivering as soon as they sit in the hut. In such a situation, there is a concern about the children falling ill. Being a forest area, there is a danger of attack by bears, leopards, wild dogs and other wild animals. In such a situation, teaching in the open space in the forest creates an atmosphere of insecurity.

Teachers also keep school records in their bags

Due to lack of water and electricity facilities in the school running in a hut, students have to bring water in bottles from home. Teacher Jetharam Chaudhary said that due to lack of electricity, children suffer from severe heat. They have to keep the school records in a bag, which they bring to school and take back every day.

Villagers say that a month ago, some children from school came to Simti Phli to drink water, where three children were attacked by dogs, due to which the children are reluctant to go to school. The local MLA, MP, Sarpanch were made aware of all these problems, but no solution has been found till now. 

The local MLA is a minister but has not been able to get permission for a year

In this case related to Sirohi assembly constituency, local MLA and State Minister of Panchayati Raj Department, Otaram Dewasi, despite having his own government, has failed to get permission from the forest department for school construction for one year. The villagers of Simti Kheda even alleged that after winning the election, Otaram Dewasi has not even come to inquire about the condition of school children.

On the other hand, Sirohi-Jalore Lok Sabha MP Lumbaram Chaudhary had reprimanded the officials of the Education Department and Forest Department on this matter in the Disha meeting two days ago. After which there is now hope of work being done on this.

Work is stuck due to it being a forest area: DEO

The budget for the Simti Kheda Fali school building has been approved and the work was also started, but the work got stuck due to non-receipt of NOC from the Forest Department. Correspondence is being done with the officials continuously for its permission.
-Jitendra Lohar, District Education Officer, Sirohi

It is a matter of eco sensitive zone: DFO

The area where the land has been earmarked for the school is an eco-sensitive zone. A letter was written to the education department to fill the form for the land. To resolve matters related to eco-sensitive zones, a decision is taken by a committee constituted under the chairmanship of the collector at the district level, in which permission is possible - Nandlal Prajapat, DFO, Mount Abu