More than 200 students of Jai Prakash Narayan Sarvodaya residential school in Niyotani under Unnao’s Hasanganj tehsil blocked the Mohan-Bangarmau road on Wednesday morning, alleging a shortage of teachers, poor-quality food and inadequate basic facilities.
The students gathered at Mohan trisection and sat on the road, bringing traffic to a halt and causing a traffic jam on the busy stretch.
The protesting students alleged that several subject teachers had not been posted at the school for years, affecting their studies. They claimed the teacher shortage had left their syllabus incomplete and blamed the authorities for failing to address the issue. They said the situation was affecting their education and future.
The students also complained about the food served at the school, alleging that there was no proper arrangement for meals in the mess and that poor-quality food was served on several occasions. They further alleged inadequate water supply in the school and hostel. They claimed that several children had fallen ill because of the poor facilities and that proper treatment was not always available on time.
They also alleged that several fans in the school were not working and that their basic problems had not been permanently addressed despite repeated complaints.
{{/usCountry}}They also alleged that several fans in the school were not working and that their basic problems had not been permanently addressed despite repeated complaints.
{{/usCountry}}School principal Vandana Tripathi, the district social welfare officer, and police and administrative officials reached the spot after being informed about the protest. They tried to persuade the students to end the protest and clear the road, but the students remained firm on their demands.
The students said they would not end the protest unless the education minister was called to the spot and they were given an assurance that their problems would be resolved.
The protest ended after three hours after officials assured the students that their issues would be addressed. Unnao district magistrate Ghanshyam Meena and superintendent of police Jai Prakash Singh later had breakfast with the students and assured them that their problems would be looked into.
Hamirpur villagers, schoolchildren protest again as road woes persist
Meanwhile, schoolchildren and residents of three villages in Hamirpur’s Kurara block returned to the streets on Wednesday, protesting the poor condition of roads to their villages despite an earlier assurance from the administration. Stopped by police while heading to the collectorate, the protesters walked nearly 5 km to reach the district headquarters.
The protest was led by residents and schoolchildren from Bhauli, Jamrehi and Bachrauli along the Yamuna belt. The road issue had triggered a similar protest earlier this month, when students and their parents marched to the collectorate. The administration had assured them that the problem would be addressed, but the protesters returned, saying it remained unresolved.
The group staged a three-hour protest. ADM (finance and revenue) Rakesh Kumar, ASP AK Verma, Sadar SDM Abhishek Kumar and circle officer Yashpal Singh spoke to them and assured them their concerns would be addressed. A team of senior officials was sent to the villages to inspect the roads and assess the problem on the ground. Earlier this month, the administration had also started repair work on a road near Chandupur following the protests.