Buxar: The infrastructure improvement drive under the Seva Sankalp evam Kayakalp Abhiyan has raised concerns among headmasters of govt schools in Buxar, with several alleging that delayed reimbursements and financial constraints are adding to their workload.Launched on Sept 17, the campaign covers 1,252 govt schools, including 1,093 primary and 159 secondary and higher secondary schools.Existing infrastructure repairs and upgrades are to be completed by Nov 30, while new infrastructure projects must be completed by March 31, 2027.Schools have been directed to undertake minor repairs, paint buildings and classrooms, improve sanitation facilities, repair electrical wiring, install fans and lights, ensure safe drinking water and repair desks and benches. Drainage improvements, bicycle stands and playground levelling are also part of the drive.However, headmasters said they were facing difficulties in arranging funds and securing timely reimbursements. They also have to submit expenditure statements, supporting documents and photographs after completing the work.Ravindra Prasad, headmaster of Middle School, Amathuan, said he had spent Rs 20,000 from his own pocket on an educational tour and submitted the utilisation documents around six months ago, but the reimbursement was still pending. He said he had also approached the Lok Shikayat forum in Buxar without receiving payment.Yatindra Kumar Chaubey, district president of the Bihar Rajya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, said around 20 cases of pending educational tour payments had been reported in the district. He questioned the practice of assigning construction-related responsibilities to teachers, whose primary duty was to teach students.“The government is turning teachers into contractors. If the administration has engineers and technical staff, why can’t it execute the Kayakalp works through its own agencies?” he said, urging the district magistrate to intervene.With the deadline for existing infrastructure works approaching, headmasters have sought timely fund releases and an administrative mechanism to handle technical work without affecting academic responsibilities.
