Kandhama residents demand completion of school building

Budgam, Nov 07: Residents of Kandhama village in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district have urged the Government to expedite the completion of a school building that has remained unfinished for the past five years.
According to local inhabitants, there is a government middle school in the village catering to students from nursery to 8th grade.
“Due to insufficient space in the existing school, the government initiated the construction of an additional building comprising three rooms. However, for reasons unknown, the construction has been halted,” the locals reported.
They expressed concern that the condition of the school building is deteriorating, as it lacks a proper slab and roof, leaving the premises vulnerable to snow and rain.
Ghulam Ahmad, a local resident said that the school currently has an enrollment of over 103 students. With only two additional buildings available, the classrooms are overcrowded, which is main reason the government proposed the construction of another school building in the village.
“The school is surrounded by more than two dozen walnut trees, which pose a risk to the safety of students, teachers, and the school infrastructure. The government should also consider removing these walnut trees to ensure the safety of everyone on the premises, as the branches could fall at any moment,” he said.
An official from the Zonal Education Office in Magam said that the details regarding the incomplete school buildings have already been forwarded to the Chief Education Office Budgam, with the expectation that the unfinished work will be addressed promptly.