Dhangadi, April 12

A two-room school building at Jhime Malika Secondary School in KI Singh Rural Municipality, Doti,  has not yet been completed even though the construction had started more than four years ago. Similarly, the two-room building of Sharada Secondary School in Mudbhara of Shikhar Municipality, Doti also remains incomplete four years after the construction started.

The only work that has been completed in all these years is the laying of the foundation and installation of the pillars. Likewise, there are many other schools in the district where the construction of school buildings have been left in limbo.

“Construction of the school building had started even before I came here, but after all these years not much work has been done for want of enough budget,” said Principal Nandaram Pun of Jhime Malika Secondary School.

“Once the school received a budget of Rs one lakh, the next year, it received Rs two or three lakhs. When the budget is allocated in such a manner, how can anyone complete the building on time?” asked the principal, adding there was no budget allocated this year for the under-construction building.

Sharada Secondary School Principal Lokendra Nayak also does not know how the school building is going to be constructed. “I’ve heard that the construction started with the initiative of the then village development committee. I don’t know anything about how much is being allocated and from where the budget will be available for construction,” he said.

The school management committee also does not know why construction of school building has stopped. “We don’t know why the construction has stopped. We don’t know who are supposed to monitor such issues,” said Sudarshan Sharma, member of the school management committee.

Meanwhile, even the technicians at the district technical office said they didn’t know about the fate of the school buildings. “Some school buildings were being reconstructed under the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction while others fell under the reconstruction campaign,” said sub-engineer Lok Khadka of District Technicians Office.