Residents ‘lock’ government school in protest over poor condition of road in village

Residents locked the Government Middle School in Valayambattu village near Vaniyambadi town in Tirupattur on Thursday, protesting against the poor condition of a key stretch that connects the school with residential areas in the village.

It was around 8 a.m., when the students and teachers came to school, that they found the main entrance locked by the residents. The protesters allowed the students and teachers inside the school and locked it again. They protested against the officials of the district administration for not re-laying the damaged stretch.

Residents said that Valayambattu Main Road, that comes under Alangayam panchayat union, is a key connecting stretch to reach nearby towns, like Vaniyambadi, Ambur, Alangayam and Jolarpet.

The stretch, which is one kilometre long, also has government facilities, like an anganwadi centre and fair price shops.

“Students get hurt when they accidentally fall on the pot-holed stretch. Sending children to the school is risky, especially during monsoon,” said K. Satyamurthy, a resident.

At present, the school has 150 students, including girls, and it is the only government school in Ward 5 of the village.

School authorities said that the existing compound wall of the decades-old building remains incomplete, making it convenient for miscreants to misuse the campus during night hours. Thick bushes and open drain on the campus also pose risk to students, especially during rain.

“We have requested the authorities during gram sabha meetings to remove vegetation and level the unused open drain on the campus. However, no action has been taken,” said S. Kalaiarasi, school headmistress.

On being alerted of the protest, Tirupattur police and revenue officials rushed to the spot and pacified the protesters.

After getting an assurance from the officials that the stretch would be re-laid soon, the residents removed the lock and dispersed peacefully.