AAP MLAs visit MCD-run schools in Delhi, live-stream their 'poor condition'
New Delhi, Sep 3: AAP MLAs visited some schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Saturday and highlighted their "poor condition" to corner the BJP which has been targeting the Arvind Kejriwal government over alleged irregularities in the construction of its schools.
The AAP legislators, including its chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, live-streamed their visit to the schools on social media platforms, highlighting "poor condition" of their buildings, classrooms, toilets and campuses, and slammed the BJP for raising questions on the Delhi government's expenditure on the construction of its schools.
The unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) functions under the BJP-led Centre. Before unification, the BJP ruled the three municipal corporations of Delhi.
"BJP has given such schools and education system to poor children while being in power at the MCD for 17 years. The BJP should apologise for playing with the future of Delhi and the country like this," Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi after AAP MP Sanjay Singh posted some pictures of "unhygienic" toilets and "dirty" premises of an MCD school on the microblogging site.
In the pictures posted by Singh on Twitter, students can be seen sitting on mats in a classroom.
Bharadwaj visited a civic body-run school in the Greater Kailash area and claimed one teacher was teaching students of two different classes in one classroom. "This is the situation here in every classroom because the school has just two teachers and a principal to teach children enrolled in prep to standard 5 classes," he said.
"How can one teacher teach students of two different classes?" the AAP leader asked.
Showing the ceiling of a classroom, Bharadwaj said, "Imagine what would be the condition of children studying here under this tin ceiling during Delhi's scorching summer."
"Children here are not getting proper facilities that they need. These children also deserve what the children of Delhi government schools are getting. I appeal to Delhi government to do something for them if MCD is not able to do anything," he said.
AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak visited an MCD-run school in his Rajinder Nagar assembly constituency and said he was not allowed to enter its premises.
"I came to visit this school in Inderpuri but you can see its main gate is locked. I was told that I don't have permission to enter its premises. Some parents have also come here along with me but they are too not being allowed to enter and meet their wards," he said.
Holding a press conference later, Pathak alleged that the principals of some schools had been instructed by some officials at the behest of the BJP not to allow any AAP MLAs, any leader of any political party or the media enter the school premises and make videos.
He also ran an audio clip in which a man is heard giving such instructions but refused to identify the person.
BJP is running away from showing its schools because there is nothing worth showing there. The BJP knows it will be exposed if it allows anyone to visit its schools, he charged.
देखिये BJP आपके बच्चों के भविष्य के साथ क्या कर रही है।
— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) September 3, 2022
MCD School, Burari 📍
BJP के 15 साल के कुशासन की मुँह बोलती तस्वीर-
बच्चों के बैठने के Desk नहीं, Unhygienic Toilet, पीने का पानी नहीं( स्कूल में प्यासा मरता बचपन), हर जगह केवल गंदगी।#BJPKeSchoolExposed pic.twitter.com/dL4lFYKxpc
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Rain might have washed it away: Meghalaya minister after 4,000 tonnes of coal go missing
Shillong (PTI): As the Meghalaya High Court pulled up the state government over the disappearance of over 4,000 tonnes of coal, a minister on Monday claimed that heavy rain in the state might have washed it away.
The high court has directed the state government to take action against officials under whose watch the coal went missing.
Speaking to reporters, Excise Minister Kyrmen Shylla said, "Meghalaya receives the highest rainfall. You never know... because of rain, the coal might have swept away. Chances are very high."
The high court had on July 25 pulled up the state government over the vanishing of coal from Rajaju and Diengngan villages and instructed it to trace those responsible for lifting the coal illegally.
The minister, however, clarified that he was not trying to justify the disappearance, and admitted there was no conclusive evidence yet to determine whether the loss was due to natural causes or any illegal activity. "I cannot blame just the rain. It could be or it could not be. I really don't have any kind of details," he said.
He asserted that any activity related to coal mining or transportation must be done in accordance with the law and that authorities must ensure illegal practices are curbed.
On allegations of ongoing illegal coal mining and transport in the state, Shylla said concrete evidence was needed to establish such claims and that multiple departments were responsible for monitoring such activities.
"But I believe that our people, if it is for survival, might do it illegally... otherwise nobody wants to do anything that can harm the state," he said.
He expressed optimism that people would abide by the law, especially after the government's announcement of scientific mining.
"We all are happy to welcome it, and we want to see the light of day with this. I believe our people will not do anything that gives the court or law a chance to point fingers at us," he added.
The ban on coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya was imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014, citing rampant unregulated and unsafe mining practices, especially the controversial 'rat-hole' mining technique prevalent in the state.
The tribunal's order came in the wake of mounting concerns over environmental degradation, water contamination, and frequent fatalities in the hazardous mines, particularly in East Jaintia Hills.
On a separate note, the minister also responded to complaints over the dust and debris caused by the ongoing construction along National Highway 6 in East Jaintia Hills, saying, "I appreciate this government for the initiative. For now, it is difficult, but once everything is completed, we will enjoy the benefits."
