Thieves having a field day at govt schools
A spate of thefts in the district government schools in the recent months has exposed the security arrangements. It seems LCDs, computers and LPG cylinders at these schools have become an attractive and easy target for thieves.
A spate of thefts in the district government schools in the recent months has exposed the security arrangements.
It seems LCDs, computers and LPG cylinders at these schools have become an attractive and easy target for thieves.
Around two LCDs, five computers and two LPG cylinders were stolen from the city government schools in the last six months alone.
The Hindustan Times team visited a few government schools in the peripheral areas of Ludhiana district to find out whether these schools had made any security arrangements.
At Government High School, Dewatwal, Government Senior Secondary School, Isewal, Government High School, Aliwall and Government High School, Talwandi, the team found that no security measures had been taken by the school administration.
Though all the government schools have posts for watchmen (chowkidars), these posts have been lying vacant for many years.
This despite the fact that two gas cylinders were stolen from the Government High School, Aliwall, two LCDs from Government Senior Secondary School, Isewal, two computers
from Government High School, Talwandi and three computers were stolen from Government High School, Dewatwal.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Anoop Kumar Passi, principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Isewal, said, "Two LCDs were stolen from the Edusat laboratory on February 24 this year. We have lodged an FIR in the Dakha village police station."
He said computers seemed to be an easy and lucrative pick for the perpetrators.
Passi confirmed that the post of watchman was lying vacant in his school for many years.
A headmistress of a government high school, on condition of anonymity, said, "In the absence of watchman on school premises, there is nobody to take care of the campus when it is closed. The higher authorities should take this issue seriously and fill the vacant posts of watchman."
The LPG cylinders are used in government schools to cook mid-day meal. A school needs at least 3 to 4 cylinders per month. However, the LCD screens and computers cost in thousands so it is a big loss to the government school property.
Official Speak
Talking to Hindustan Times, Hussan Lal, secretary, school education, Punjab, said, "We have noticed that there is a need of security arrangements in government schools of Punjab. Many thefts cases have been reported in the last few months. However, right now around 4,500 posts of watchmen are lying vacant in government schools of Punjab. We will fill these posts as soon as possible."
