A government primary school building in Rampura Kanwarpura village in Jaipur’s Bagru assembly constituency was demolished by authorities on Wednesday, days after its poor condition was highlighted by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). Bulldozers were deployed to bring down the dilapidated structure, which had attracted attention following a CJP team’s visit under its “School Thik Karo” campaign. The campaign was aimed at highlighting the condition of government schools. The visit had also resulted in a confrontation between CJP members and villagers, with FIRs subsequently registered by both sides.

The condition of the school had drawn wider attention after an NDTV visit found children studying under a tree in a cowshed. The report also observed students undertaking tasks including sweeping the floor, serving the mid-day meal and arranging classroom seating, while no teacher was present at the time.

According to BJP MLA Kailash Verma, Rs 12 lakh from District Mineral Foundation Trust funds and another Rs 6 lakh from his local development fund had already been approved for the school on August 13. Following the controversy, the Chief Minister announced that construction would begin on September 1. Cleaning work started on Tuesday, followed by demolition of the old structure on Wednesday.

Also Read: 2 Dead, Several Injured In Hyderabad Under-Construction Building Collapse

The development comes against the backdrop of wider concerns over dilapidated government school buildings in Rajasthan. Last year, the Rajasthan High Court took suo motu cognisance of the issue following an accident at a school in Peepalodi, Jhalawar. The state government had subsequently submitted a five-year action plan estimated at Rs 12,500 crore, while recent developments have led to plans to accelerate its implementation over three years.

The immediate plan for the Rampura Kanwarpura school includes construction of two classrooms using Rs 12 lakh, while the additional Rs 6 lakh is earmarked for other works. Villagers have also begun clearing the premises and indicated that they will supervise the construction. Teacher Asha welcomed the development and expressed hope that toilets and an office would also be included as the new school building takes shape.

Also Read: #JUSTIN: Fire Breaks Out At Mumbai Income Tax Office Building