Parajasila Primary School, children studying in school verandah, only one classroom is there.

More than 130 families live in 4 hamlets of Parajasila village. There is a primary school up to 5^th class here. In the school there is one classroom, one kitchen room, a store room, an incomplete toilet besides the two more incomplete classrooms that are in front of the old building. Out of this one is under construction since 2007-8 while the other was from 2012. In the single classroom total of 50 school children sit together while in school verandah children of 2 classes sit and study. So, the school has had a total of 70 children with 2 teachers.

Since the implementation of EU-Agragamee Information project in January 2014 the village the villagers had raised the issues of incomplete school building in the meetings that followed thorough the year but remained silent on taking any steps or suggestion given to them.  After the formation of Block level Citizen Action Group in 21-22 December 2014 the CAG members of Parajasila village attended a number meeting, training and orientation programmes at Agragemee and were sensitizing the villagers about how to take up different village issues as was guided previously. So, when we discussed the incomplete school issues with them they said the villagers would definitely take up the issue come whatever may.

We learned that some of the villagers are also afraid that those contractors who were involved in the school building construction were also the supporter of a big non-tribal businessman that had had farmland near their village. The villagers were apprehensive that the contractors would retaliate in case of a written complaint on issues of incomplete school building was lodged at the Block Education Office (BEO).  So, they were silent on the issues for years together.

Incomplete school building of 2007-08, Incomplete school building of 2012, Incomplete school toilet

The village is situated just 2 kms away from the Agragamee headquarter. The village CAG members, the SMC President Mr. Biseswar Jhodia, Smt. Hirabati Jhodia, Smt. Tulabati Jhodia sensitized the villagers on the need for serious decision on the issues and also described how in other villages where the villagers had intervened the school and AWC issues had been solved immediately and, as a result, now functioning regularly.  Finally, a village meeting was organized there on dated 27 June 2015. In the meeting the villagers were told that they would be left out if they didn’t submit a written complaint to BEO or in case they are afraid of the contractors then the school children would be asked to lodge a written complaint to BEO. Some youths of the villagers requested that they have had good relationship with Agragmee for last 35 years and had learnt a lot of good things from it and they would definitely sit together to draft a written complaint and submit it to BEO within a week.

A few days after this those contractors of school building approached the villagers and told them that they would complete the building and there was no need for a written complaint on issue. And, thereafter they got iron doors and windows built and brought to the village. They also brought trips of sand and other materials of construction and stored in the school. The contractors said that they would finish the construction works before next academic session so that the school children would sit in the new school building and study comfortably.

Now the villagers are quite happy that by a little bit of their collective effort under the leadership of village CAG members they have been able to solve the incomplete school building issues.