Children take protest to officials
More than 30 children from Themli village in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district undertook a nearly 15-km march on Wednesday, demanding that an unfinished classroom at their primary school be completed. The children, studying in Classes 1 to 5, were accompanied by their parents and local representatives as they approached government offices in Mainpur.
The protest began at the office of the block education officer, where the group sought immediate intervention. After officials assured the protesters that the matter would be considered, the delegation moved towards the sub-divisional magistrate’s office. Police arrived as the gathering grew, and the agitation was later withdrawn following discussions involving officials, parents and public representatives.
For the children, however, the immediate issue remains unresolved. They have warned that they may stop attending classes if the building work is not completed. Their demand is limited but fundamental: a finished and safe space in which children from the primary section can study without being forced to share an inadequate facility.
One room for Classes 1 to 5
The school’s students are currently being taught in one room, according to the report. The unfinished structure was intended to provide an additional classroom and had received administrative sanction under the previous government. The approved cost was ₹8.32 lakh.
The delay has turned what was meant to be a basic infrastructure project into a public dispute involving children, parents, elected representatives and several government departments. The march through rain and strong winds underlined the urgency felt by families in Themli, who have repeatedly sought completion of the work through applications submitted during government outreach programmes.
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Themli village, Mainpur block, Gariaband district |
| Students affected | More than 30 children from Classes 1 to 5 |
| Distance covered | Nearly 15 km |
| Sanctioned amount | ₹8.32 lakh |
| Current demand | Completion of the additional classroom |
Payments and incomplete work questioned
Janpad member Sukhchand Dhruv said substantial payments had reportedly been released to the contractor even though the construction had not reached completion. The allegation places the focus not only on the delayed classroom but also on the checks applied before payments are made for publicly funded works.
Parents said they had approached the administration on several occasions, but the building remained unfinished. Their complaints reflect a familiar gap between the sanctioning of a project and its delivery on the ground: funds may be allocated, agencies may be assigned responsibility, yet children continue to study without the facility promised to them.
The dispute has also drawn attention to works undertaken under the School Jatan scheme in Mainpur, a predominantly tribal block. Local representatives have questioned the monitoring of projects assigned to the tribal development department and the manner in which contractors were paid in relation to the work completed.
Wider questions over 114 works
According to figures cited by local representatives, the tribal development department was entrusted with 114 works, including 14 toilet projects. The education department is reported to have transferred more than ₹6 crore to the agency for such works. Of the 114 projects, representatives alleged that 97 remained incomplete.
These figures have widened the issue beyond the unfinished classroom at Themli. If verified, they would point to a broader implementation problem involving planning, supervision, contractor performance and departmental accountability. The allegations remain claims made by local representatives; the source material does not provide an independent audit or a detailed official status report for each project.
Assistant commissioner of the tribal development department Lokeshwar Patel said that action and recovery proceedings were in progress. The available information does not specify the projects covered, the amount proposed for recovery or the names of those against whom action may be taken. Those details will be important in determining whether responsibility is fixed and whether the stalled works receive time-bound completion.
Protest withdrawn, demand remains
The withdrawal of the agitation followed official discussions, but it did not settle the central concern of the families. The children’s warning of a possible class boycott shows that the assurance given at the offices will be judged by visible progress at the school site.
The episode has placed a basic public service question before the administration: why should primary schoolchildren travel 15km in difficult weather to seek a classroom that was sanctioned and funded? For the families of Themli, completion of the building is now a test of whether government infrastructure promises are translated into usable facilities for children in remote and tribal communities.
