Tamil Nadu - Dindigul   

New facilities inaugurated at school without much fanfare

Staff Reporter

In contrast to three other functions elsewhere in the district

SIMPLE: Parent-Teachers Association president M. Ahmad Ali lighting `the kuthuvilakku' to inaugurate a laboratory at a school in Dindigul on Wednesday. — PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN

DINDIGUL: There were no ostentatious display and no endless wait for VIPs — to be greeted by students waiting under a scorching sun. And there were no festoons, arches and big thatched `pandals.'

The inauguration ceremony of four buildings comprising 11 classrooms and two spacious rooms meant for physics and chemistry laboratories was performed modestly at the Government Higher Secondary School on Palani Main Road here on Wednesday.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) had extended assistance of Rs.58 lakh for the construction of buildings (NABARD has granted Rs.7 crore for developing infrastructure such as classrooms and laboratories and sanitary complexes in government schools).

Students, teachers and office-bearers of Parents-Teachers Association were the VIPs at the inaugural function. M. Ahmad Ali, president of PTA, inaugurated the buildings in the presence of students as teachers lit the `kuthuvilakku.' Sweets were distributed to the students. Three girls had organised the very simple show.

The Department of Education does not sanction funds for organising such functions; either Parents-Teachers Association or the teachers of the school must bear the expenses, according to Education Department officials.

On the contrary

The same day, the Parents-Teachers Association of government higher secondary schools at Margampatti and Muthunayakkanpatti villages and Oddanchatram had spent Rs.10,000 to Rs.25,000 for inaugurating the new buildings constructed on their premises at cost of Rs.30 lakh, Rs.36 lakh and Rs.77 lakh respectively. The only difference from the previous occasion was that all these facilities were inaugurated by School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu and Revenue Minister I. Periasamy.

In some schools, teachers bore additional expenses while local bigwigs in Margampatti shared a part of the expenditure. Though students of the Margampatti school were asked to come at 8 a.m., the function commenced obly by 10.45 a.m. The inaugural function was over at 3 p.m. at the Oddanchatram school — it commenced one-and-a-half hour to two hours behind schedule in all the three schools.

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