Elementary schools easy target of thieves

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 24

In absence of watchmen and electronic vigilance government elementary schools have become a soft target of miscreants in the rural areas.

Thieves often steal mid-day meal ration and kitchen equipment, including LPG cylinders and stoves, from schools in the night. Some unidentified thieves struck at Government Elementary School, Rajetal, in the Ghrinda area, and decamped with two gas cylinders, rice and flour stocked for the mid-day meal on the institution premises recently.

Such incidents are not new as schools often witnesses thefts. Ironically, the Education Department does not provide gas cylinder or any other equipment if it is stolen from any school. School teachers have to make arrangements from their own pockets.

As per standing instructions, the school head should lodge first information report (FIR) at the nearest police station in this regard and inform to the district education officer (DEO).

Teachers have demanded that the government or panchayats should deploy watchmen or instal CCTV cameras on school premises to curb incidents of theft.

“Apart from incidents of stealing, sometimes hooligans enter schools in the evening and damage its property. No one takes action against such culprits. Sarpanches and panchayats should be made responsible for such incidents in absence of school teachers,” said a teacher.

District education officer (elementary) Salwinder Singh Samra said, “It is quite common that thieves target schools. Earlier, the government was planning to deploy watchmen for the night duty, but such employees often claim permanent government job. Panchayats can arrange watchmen at the village level. Education Department has no vacancy for watchmen in elementary schools.”