Contractor locks Govt. school gate for pending bills in Mahabubabad, students, teachers forced to sit outside on first day of school

Students and teachers of an MPPS in Perumandla Sankeesa village were forced to remain outside the campus after a contractor locked the school gate, alleging non-payment of dues under the Mana Ooru Mana Badi programme and demanding clearance of pending bills

Mahabubabad: Students and teachers of Mandal Parishad Primary School (MPPS) at Perumandla Sankeesa village in Dornakal mandal of the district were forced to sit outside the school after a contractor locked the main gate on Monday.

The incident created a tense atmosphere in the village, while parents expressed concern over the disruption to their children’s education on the very first day of the school’s reopening.

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The contractor, Ramanatham, explained that he had undertaken development works at the school and completed them in 2023 under the government’s prestigious ‘Mana Ooru Mana Badi’ programme.

He alleged that despite three years having passed since the completion of the work, the payments due to him had not been fully settled. He stated that out of Rs 40 lakh, only Rs 7 lakh had been paid so far, leaving an outstanding balance of Rs 33 lakh.

Despite making numerous rounds of the offices of the relevant officials to secure the release of the bills, there was no result, Ramanatham lamented. He explained that he had incurred heavy debts to carry out the work and that lenders were now pressuring him for repayment.

He said he was facing severe financial hardship as the interest on the loans continued to mount. The school gate was locked as a final measure to register his protest, as there was no response from the officials.

The villagers urged the higher authorities to intervene immediately to resolve the issue and take appropriate action regarding the outstanding payments, keeping the students’ future in mind.