A primary school building in Baramulla district abandoned since two years was given a facelift by authorities for the Election Day in the north Kashmir constituency on April 11.
The government-owned building of the erstwhile primaryschool in Potkha area of the frontier district had no students on its rollsince teachers posted there were shifted to another school. There was no watchand ward as well.
As part of election process this abandoned building receivedcomplete electrification, drinking water facility and a ramp after the districtelection authority designated it as a polling booth for the locality.
Left unattended by the education department, the abandonedschool building had become a hub of illegal activities in the locality,residents say, complaining that some youth assemble inside the rooms everyevening for smoking and illicit activities.
Residents said doors and windows of the building havealready been pulled out by miscreants and there are apprehensions that they maysteal electric bulbs and wires from the rooms after the election is over.
“The department should put this building to use to avoidwastage of money spent on this building,” said Ishfaq, a resident of the area.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has augmented fundsfor facelift of those schools identified as polling stations for theparliamentary elections and assembly polls in J&K state, and directedconcerned district election officer to ensure proper electrification, drinkingwater facility and ramps to be constructed in all polling stations.
Chief Education Officer (CEO) Baramulla G M Lone said it wasmandatory to provide all the basic facilities in the school buildings whichwere designated as polling stations.
“But the whole process was done by the election authoritiesand we (education department) had no role in it,” Lone said.