E-Paper
Banda school gets power after 13 yrs, principal, teachers chip in for new connection
Despite several requests, authorities kept dilly-dallying the issue. Finally, the students and the principal had to step in.
KANPUR It was a heartwarming scene at the Government High SchoolinBanda’s Pakhrauli village when its principal Dr Ravi Kiran Singhswitched on the lights and dispelled 13 years of darkness on Saturday. Since 2010, the students of the school had been braving winter chill and battling scorching summer heat as the 12-room building had no power connection. Despite several requests, authorities kept dilly-dallying the issue. Finally, the students and the principal had to step in.
Recently, the teachers along with principal Dr Ravi donated ₹25,000 each from their salaries to collect ₹1,50,000 to pay for electricity wire and transformer. “I joined here in 2010. When I joined, there was no electricity connection. I went to public representatives, local administration and officials of power department over this issue, I wrote no less than 20 letters to public representatives but all in vain,” said Dr Ravi. He added, “The facility was upgraded to a high school in 2010 but we were not given an electric connection.”
Of the total money ₹80,000 were paid to the power department against the connection and transformer. The rest of the sum was used to buy a 200-metre-long cable to cover the distance from the transformer into the school and getting the wiring done. “The transformer was installed on January 25 but it became operational on Saturday. At present, we have 253 students studying in this school. The education department had provided us the ceiling fans but they were not installed because we did not have any electricity. For the first time in over a decade, they will be put to use,” added the principal.
The teachers who chipped in the money for the noble cause include -- Gauri Shankar, Pinki Singh, Sonal Sagar, Chandravati, Pratibha Singh, and one other.
