Shillong: Residents of Rongmil in East Garo Hills are furious over botched school repairs. The facility, established in 1988, recently received a grant of nearly 6 lakhs from local MLA Jim Sangma for upgrades. The school president oversaw the project, but the work remains incomplete and shoddy.
Sordar Prinath Momin said: "The school was in a terrible state earlier, but repairs have been undertaken this year, with most of it completed by the end of July. We expected the entire tin roof to be changed, but only 10 sheets of roofing tin were used." Locals estimate only 2 lakhs of the grant money actually reached the site.
The school currently houses nine teachers and over 60 students. Only five of its six rooms remain in use. The vocational center shows severe structural cracks. A section of the roof above the teachers' room hangs by wires. Contractors used fewer than 20 bags of cement for floor and wall patches, leaving foundations exposed and toilets inadequate.
Staff absenteeism plagues the institution. Students confirmed that headmaster Benjamin T. Sangma, who lives in New Sarangma, rarely shows up for work. When he does attend, he refuses to teach English. A teacher at the school noted: "The fact is that the old tin roofs could get damaged at any point, leaving students vulnerable and making classes extremely challenging."
The school also lacks a science teacher, leaving students without a fundamental grasp of the subject. Despite formal complaints to the education department, officials have ignored the situation. Jim Sangma did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Public trust in the regional education system continues to collapse.
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