A government school in Bengaluru, which is just 4 km from Vidhana Soudha, has been without power for seven years. Hence, students are forced to sit outside the classroom and attend classes. But during the rains, students sit inside the classroom and study under candle light, said an officer from the Education Department.
The Government Tamil Higher Primary School in Commissariat Road, Ashok Nagar, of the Shanthi Nagar Assembly Constituency, is only a few kilometres away from Garuda Mall. Started in 1930, the school once used to house a good number of students. But the number reduced to a few students over a period of time. At present, there are hardly ten students studying from Classes I to V with only one teacher teaching them. The school houses a few classrooms.
Sources from the Department of Public Instruction said there has been no power to this school for the last seven years. The electricity bill wasn't paid sometime back and BESCOM disconnected the power connection.
The officer said, "Neither the department nor elected representatives are taking an interest to revive this school. Since this school is in the heart of a commercial place like Garuda Mall, there is some vested interest to shut this school, so that they can use this piece of land for commercial activities." Official sources also confirmed there is a proposal to demolish this building.
When contacted, Primary Education Minister BC Nagesh said that he would instruct concerned block education officers to visit the school and get the power supply problem resolved. Noted Historian Suresh Moona said, "When structure is 100 years old, it gets the heritage tag. However, depending on the structure style, if it is 75 years, it has to be preserved. Such structures represent Old Bengaluru culture and have to be preserved. Recently, a 120-year-old high school was preserved using technology. There is so much technology to preserve older building without losing its antiquity."
