Construction of JB School building in Kundannoor in limbo
Kochi: Four years after Rs 1.5 crore was allocated through KIIFB for construction of a new building for the century-old JB School in Kundannoor, the project remains only halfway complete.
Despite repeated appeals from school's parent-teacher association (PTA), authorities and teachers, alleged lackadaisical attitude of contractors and municipality has stalled progress, leaving the school unable to resume operations in the new academic year.
The project was conceived following repeated demands from PTA, which highlighted the dangerous state of school's old building. Initially, Rs 3 crore was sanctioned for the project during the tenure of former MLA M Swaraj, but the amount was later slashed to Rs 1.5 crore, citing declining student numbers.
According to teachers and parents, the school does not have facilities to match modern-day learning, including smart classrooms and computer labs. "Even last Thursday, several workers arrived at school and took away their construction tools, telling us construction will not continue as funds have not been credited to contractor," said Ambika P B, a teacher at the school.
"Primary responsibility lies with contractors who have stalled construction for a long time.
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Secondly, Maradu municipality and MLA representing the constituency have failed to oversee the project," said municipality councillor C R Shanavas.
Meanwhile, municipality chairman Antony Ashanparambil conceded the delay and blamed state govt for not releasing funds for the project in a timely manner. "Project has been delayed as contractor was not paid on time by govt. However, municipality has decided to intervene and ensure the project gets completed in the near future," said Ashanparambil.
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