Jammu: Welcoming the establishment of S P Smart School at Sidhra the Tawi Vihar Residents Welfare Association, a registered society, through its elected Executive Committee, represented by Sh. B. S. Thakur President,Sh. Narinder Sharma Vice President, Sh. Rohini Gupta, General Secretary and Dr. J. S. Malhotra, Treasurer, has hailed the Management of J&K Cooperative Housing Corporation for establishing this prestigious School in Tawi Viahr Colony, Sidhra. The residents have said that prior to establishment of this school a non-descript Cooperative Public School was running in the colony, which was not able to cater to the wards of the resident because the standard of the teaching in the school was not very high. Besides, the school lacked other facilities, due to which the residents were reluctant to send their wards to this school. Now when a reputed school, imparting high quality education, has been established in the colony the residents have shown their keen enthusiasm and many of them have even admitted their wards in the school. The parents of these wards have said that earlier they were sending their children to other schools functioning in the peripheries of the city and for reaching their schools on time the children had to start very early in the morning. It would take them not less than an hour and a half to reach their schools and similarly for coming back home it would take them another two hours due to afternoon traffic rush. The children would daily spend about three to four hours in travelling and their parents had to shell out about Rs. 2500 to Rs. 3500 monthly on their transportation. By admitting their children in SP Smart School, Sidhra, the time of children and money of their parents both have been saved. The residents have also expressed their satisfaction, through the Executive Committee, that their children would not require any tuition, beyond school hours, as the school management discourages this practice and they take extra classes for such students without charging any extra fees.
The other concerns that were expressed by the residents regarding the establishment of this school were discussed by the Executive Committee of TVRWA with the school management represented by Sh. Shivang Satya Gupta and Sh. Bharat Bhushan, MD, Housing Corporation in a meeting held on 10th July 2020. Prominent residents of the colony namely Sh. Vijay Bakaya, IAS, former Chief Secretary, Dr. V. M. Sudan and Sh. Parvez Malik, IAS (Rtd) had also attended this meeting and after hearing both the sides had expressed their satisfaction over the clarifications given in response to resident’s concerns.
To the issue of buses plying in the colony it was clarified that the buses will only ply for outside colony students and within the colony the route of these buses will be fixed from gate to the school. The size, number of the student, separate buses for male and female students, with special female guard in buses carrying female students will be strictly as per Hon’ble Supreme Court Guidelines. Besides all the buses will have speed governors installed in engines. None of the buses will be parked outside school, as there is ample parking space in the school premises itself. The School Management had also clarified that they have installed their own power transformer of 100 KVA Capacity and bored their own well for drawing water and they shall not use colony water. The school will give preference to the children residing in the colony in admissions, free education will be imparted to children of single mothers, children of Army, Police martyrs besides scholarships to deserving students.
With these clarifications given the Tawi Vihar Residents Welfare Association had withdrawn its objection to the establishment of the said school.
The TVRWA also expressed its concern over some residents projecting themselves as the representative body of the residents and raising the concerns that have already been addressed. It also pointed out that none of the residents, who are opposed to the establishment school, have school-going children, therefore, they cannot understand the big relief that this school has given to those residents, who have school-going children. Further, the TVRWA condemned the behaviour of the persons, who had taken out a procession in the colony on the night of 16th-17th July, raised slogans outside the residence of the MD, Housing Corporation and also misbehaved with his wife and even attempted an assault on her.
