There is an urgent need to save the land belonging to government-run schools in Itanagar. ICR Deputy Director of School Education (DDSE) Mallo Yam Gollo on Saturday during a virtual meeting organized by the deputy commissioner called for erecting boundary walls around all the schools in the capital region to put a stop to encroachment. The appeal made by the DDSE is very important, considering the fact that a large number of schools across the ICR have been heavily encroached on by the land sharks.
Unfortunately, in some cases the encroachers themselves are government officials. This is happening because of lack of boundary walls and failure to map the area. First of all, the ICR administration should map the area belonging to government schools and issue land certificates at the earliest. Every attempt should be made to try to reclaim the encroached land. Secondly, boundary walls should be constructed to avoid further encroachment. The construction of boundary walls should be taken up on priority level. It will not only stop further encroachment but will provide safety and security. In many schools, due to lack of a boundary wall, theft cases are being reported. Fans, tables, desks, etc, have been stolen by thieves. Also, school compounds are used for antisocial activities during night time by antisocial elements. As the state government has already declared 2021-22 as the ‘Year of Education’, it should begin action on the ground by making an effort to save the government-run schools in the ICR.