A video showing students inspecting a cracked school roof in Junagadh has led to swift action from Gujarat’s State Education Minister Praful Pansheriya. The footage, captured at a Government Primary School in Khajuri Hadmatiya village, showed children measuring a huge crack on the newly constructed roof under the supervision of an adult.
The slab, built as part of the Smart School project under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, was cast on March 19. However, by the following day, visible cracks had appeared.
Despite the villagers raising concerns with local authorities, no action was taken. Speaking to a national daily, a resident said, “We informed taluka-level officials, but as our village is an antyodaya village, it is not considered politically important. Our complaints were ignored.”
Frustrated, the villagers recorded the video and sent it directly to Minister Pansheriya.
Responding to the video, Pansheriya ordered an immediate inspection by the district project engineer, a third-party engineer, and other civil engineering experts.
“If this is the condition on the next day of construction, imagine what will happen if the roof collapses on a student a month or two later? I would not be able to pardon myself,” the minister said.
He directed officials to demolish the roof within a week while the iron and wooden shuttering materials were still in place.
“The government is paying Rs 1,400 per square foot to the construction agency for civil work. Mismanagement or malpractices within Gujarat’s education system will not be tolerated,” Pansheriya stated.
He further emphasised the state’s commitment to transparency and accountability in school infrastructure projects.
State Project Director of Samagra Shiksha, Ranjeeth Kumar J, confirmed the issuance of a show cause notice to the construction agency. “Based on reports from taluka-level officials and other civil experts, necessary action will be taken. Additionally, other projects by the same agency will be reviewed,” he said.
As per media reports, the contractor was identified as a Rajkot-based agency. The firm has been instructed to document the demolition process and submit a detailed report, including photographs, to the education department in Gandhinagar.
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