Run-down school built by AAP a ‘monument of corruption’: Sood

Describing a dilapidated government school building in north-west Delhi as a “monument of corruption”, Education Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday ordered officials to carry out urgent repairs. He also alleged that poor quality of construction under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had put students at risk.

After inspecting the school building, Mr. Sood shared photographs showing damaged ceilings and falling plaster. “The poor infrastructure built by the previous AAP government in 2020 is now costing innocent children dearly. The building of Lal School in Shahbad Dairy has also been declared ‘dangerous’,” he said.

“I would call this school a monument of corruption. Because of this, children were forced to go far away from their own area, which is a matter of grave concern for us,” the Minister said.

He added that the use of “substandard construction material” was behind the building’s poor condition.

‘Political stunt’

In a riposte, the Opposition AAP stated that the Minister “should have the matter investigated, fix responsibility, and take action instead of indulging in a political stunt”.

Mr. Sood said he has directed officials to carry out immediate repairs and take action against errant officials. He added that the school should be revamped with modern infrastructure on the lines of a CM Shri School.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal called it an “expose”. She said the school, inaugurated by party national convener Arvind Kejriwal and former Education Minister Manish Sisodia in 2020, developed “major problems” within months of opening.

“With this school now closed, thousands of girls have been transferred to other schools far from their homes,” she said.

Ms. Maliwal also wrote to Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena seeking the construction of a new school building.

She demanded the lodging of an FIR and a time-bound probe into “how a five-year-old building deteriorated so severely”.