PERNEM
A growing number of Government Primary School (GPS) buildings lying abandoned in Pernem taluka on account of acute shortage of students have led to demands that these structures be put to some other use for the benefit of the village.
Landlords have also insisted that these schools should either be restarted or else, the land which had been freely donated to set up these schools should be handed back to them.
One such case pertains to the GPS at Gaonkarwada-Tuem, which has been abandoned since the last three years due to lack of students.
The area is still owned by the education department but there has been no maintenance in and around the site, leaving wild bushes to grow all around the school.
"The school has been wasted due to poor decisions of the government. It is the government’s responsibility to look after maintenance of school buildings which are shutdown or else, these buildings should be handed over to the panchayat, to be put to better use for the benefit of the village,” said local panch Uday Mandrekar.
In the last three years, four Marathi-medium GPSs in the taluka at Kattewada-Morjim, Mardiwada-Morjim, Gaonkarwada-Tuem and Malpe-Pernem have been shut down.
Many parents have removed their children from government primary schools and have admitted them in private aided schools in the taluka, on account of better education, Bal Rath facilities, mid-day meals and other benefits.
According to sources, there are in about 65 government primary schools in Pernem.
Incidentally, when Goa’s first chief minister late Bhausaheb Bandodkar set up government primary schools in various parts of Pernem taluka, a number of landlords had given their land for free to build these schools.
Despite 60 years of Liberation, the education department is yet to own the land where many of these schools have been built in Pernem taluka.
Some landlords have now demanded that the education department either restart these schools or else, the land be handed back to them.
In one instance, a landlord took decisive action about 10 years ago, when the GPS at Parsem was abandoned due to lack of students. Authorities failed to take note of the deteriorating condition of the school and its furniture.
Since the land was still in his name, the landlord is alleged to have demolished the school building. A house was later built in the property.
A similar incident may take place at Mardiwada-Morjim, where the GPS school has been abandoned and the property is still in the name of the landlord.
The landlord has petitioned the education department to reopen to school or else, has demanded that the land be handed back to him. In some instances, there are cases regarding ownership of land in Pernem taluka.
