250 yrs later, Badarpur Khadar gets a school

Badarpur Khadar, the 250-year-old village on the eastern-most fringe of Delhi, has got its first school after years of efforts by its residents and NGOs working for children.

Badarpur Khadar, the 250-year-old village on the eastern-most fringe of Delhi, has got its first school after years of efforts by its residents and NGOs working for children.

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The village, which houses more than 3,000 families and is part of the Sonia Vihar ward of East Delhi Municipal Corporation, lacks basic facilities such as proper roads, something even hamlets in the remotest parts of the country have.

HT had highlighted the plight of the villagers and the children in an article published on April 13. The Delhi High Court had asked the authorities to construct a school in the village.

Residents can now hope to get their children educated without having to send them to a village in neighbouring UP. The government has also sanctioned R2.34 crore to PWD for the school's construction.

"I want to be a doctor as there is no hospital in our village," said nine-year-old Julo, while entering the school for the first time.

As many as 160 students have taken admission. Eight teachers have been appointed to the school that is functioning out of a rented building currently.