EC skirts power bills of Kottayam school building used as strong rooms, students use candles

For nearly a week, students of the century-old Mar Dionysius Seminary school in Kottayam, lit candles in classrooms to read and write. It wasn't an energy-saving exercise, they were simply deprived of it. KSEB had cut off the power supply over a decade-old issue of pending bills. The dues amounting to ₹1.32 lakh date back to 2014 and 2019 when a part of the school was used as a strong room for General Elections. The office of District Collector, who is the District Election Officer, didn't act on the payment of bills.

According to school authorities, it ought to have been paid by the Election Commission. When KSEB took the extreme step on July 18, teachers had no other way but to use candles and mobile flashlights to run classes. MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan visited the school on Friday and power was restored, but bills remain unpaid. As the issue persists, school authorities know that they will have to go through it again.

Before MLA's intervention provided a temporary relief, the long corridors and the smart classrooms were steeped in darkness. A relentless monsoon and overcast sky made matters worse. The teachers and the staff had to improvise.

“On rainy days, we used flashlights to read textbooks. Smart classrooms and computer labs remained completely unusable,” said Biology teacher Liji. Even the most basic functions at the school came to a halt. Morning assemblies and daily prayers could not be conducted. Waste incinerators in the toilets could not be used.

“I teach Classes 5 to 7, and our classrooms are under the auditorium, one set of windows opens to a narrow corridor. There’s very little natural light, and if the weather is gloomy, the kids strain their eyes to read. Our kitchen staff found it difficult to prepare food for around 600 children availing the noon meal. They couldn’t use the mixer or grinder, even the water purifiers stopped working,” Liji added. “Unable to use computers and with no access to Wifi, the administrative work at the office came to a standstill,” said Binu M Jacob, an office staff member.

“On an average, our electricity bill per month is under ₹5000, unless there is any extra work, which we inform the KSEB in advance,” said Head Master Danish PJ. The headmaster said they had no clarity on why the school was being held liable for the electricity consumed during election time. “During my tenure, KSEB sent me the first notice in May. I immediately requested the KSEB authorities not to disconnect the supply, explaining that classes were about to begin. I also approached the District Collector for a solution. From what I know, previous headmasters have done the same. They had reached out to both the Election Commission and the KSEB to understand what the actual issue was,” he said.

“How did the authorities let this issue drag on without a solution in sight. Yes, now the building has electricity, but it is a temporary reprieve," the headmaster said. "The school has received notices from the KSEB throughout the years. We would get a temporary reprieve once the collector intervened until the next time KSEB decides to send the bill. The same has happened now after MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan visited the school to assess the situation and conveyed the matter to Minister Krishnankutty. The MLA is also going to write a letter to the district collector. Unless this problem is solved, the cycle will keep repeating,” he said.

Onmanorama contacted the Assistant Engineer of the Kottayam East Electrical Section and the Election wing of the Kottayam Collectorate for a response but the officials concerned did not respond.