Kumarakom: Six years after construction began, the Government Higher Secondary School at Chengalam still lacks proper classrooms, leaving students to cope with inadequate facilities. Despite the project being long overdue, funding and administrative support remain stalled, raising urgent questions about when the school’s infrastructure will finally be completed.

The school, which has consistently achieved a 100% pass rate in SSLC examinations for over a decade, was slated for an infrastructure upgrade under the Public Education Conservation Mission. The plan included a new building to accommodate both high school and higher secondary blocks.

While the high school block has been completed and inaugurated, the remaining construction is yet to be finished, hindering smooth learning for students. The public now demands prompt action to release already approved funds, along with allocations from the MLA’s Asset Development Fund, to resume and complete the project.

Ansal Rahman of Ayyamathra Mahvish Home at Chengalam has already submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, urging the resumption of construction.

According to a response from the Deputy Director of Education’s office last August:

• ₹6.77 crore is required for the building’s construction
• ₹5 crore is available from the KIIFB fund
• ₹1.50 crore was promised from MLA Suresh Kurup’s Asset Development Fund during the construction inauguration in 2019
• ₹27 lakh is pending from MLA V.N. Vasavan’s Asset Development Fund
• Although administrative sanction has been granted for ₹1.50 crore, the funds are yet to be released, while approval for the remaining ₹27 lakh is still pending.