Hyderabad: A solution seems to be in sight for the `rented premises' syndrome plaguing Government schools in the city. Unable to bear the pressure from private building owners to vacate their premises, the Government has decided to construct its own school buildings.

Some 63 vacant sites belonging to various Government departments have been identified in the mandals of Amberpet, Asifnagar, Bahadurpura, Bandlaguda, Charminar, Musheerabad, Marredpally, Nampally and Saidabad.

Most of the sites belonging to the MCH, Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) and the police have been lying idle for years. The Government has been addressed in this matter and the sites will be handed over to the School Education Department shortly, said Hyderabad Collector R.V. Chandravadan.

Of the 805 schools in the twin cities, 198 are housed in rented premises. Interestingly, 154 buildings in which Urdu medium schools function, are in the old city. "We are hopeful of accommodating at least 130 schools after the construction of new buildings in these sites," says B.Manmadha Reddy, joint director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

Most of the private buildings are in a dilapidated condition, but the owners are hardly bothered about repairing them. The measly rent of Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,000 paid by the Government is no attraction. In fact there is no demand from the building owners for a raise.

Buildings pulled down

All they want is to get their property vacated so that they can let it out for commercial purposes.

Some vexed owners have even gone to the extent of pulling down the school buildings during vacation. The Government High School, Nallakunta, vanished into thin air during the Dasara holidays last year. A similar fate befell the Government school at Chanchalguda in January.

Strangely, some owners are not even collecting the monthly rents.

In the case of Government Girls High School, First Lancer, the owner has not come forward to collect rent for the last ten years. After serving legal notices, the district authorities have recently acquired the property situated over one acre land invoking the Bona Vacancy Act. Once new buildings are in place, the enrolment is expected to go up.

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