Students stage protest demanding classrooms in the Nilgiris- NSP NEWS

Students and parents of Solada government middle school in Udhagamandalam staging a road roko on Monday demanding steps to repair damaged classrooms.
| Photo Credit: SATHYAMOORTHY M

Parents and students of Solada Government Middle School near Udhagamandalam staged a protest blocking the Udhagamandalam-Masinagudi Road for over two hours on Monday, demanding more classrooms to be built in their school.

The protesters claimed that there were around 90 children studying in the school. Due to a lack of classrooms, the students were being overcrowded into existing school infrastructure, leading to a lack of quality education. They also added that the existing classrooms had fallen into disrepair and needed to be renovated. The parents said that students from Solada, Kalhatti and surrounding villages attended the school, and added that they had made numerous representations to the Nilgiris district administration and School Education Department to upgrade facilities at the school.

However, as their demands were not met, the parents and students blocked the busy road between Udhagamandalam and Masinagudi on Monday morning, with demands that new classrooms be sanctioned for the school.

Officials from the Revenue Department held talks with the parents and convinced them to call off the protests. Due to this, traffic along the route came to a standstill, with police diverting traffic proceeding towards Masinagudi through Gudalur till the protesters dispersed.