CJP flags poor infra in Rajasthan tribal schools, questions Rs 1,500 cr fund lapse

A seven-member team of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led by co-convener Ashutosh Ranka, visited government schools in Rajasthan’s Kherwara Assembly constituency on Saturday and raised concerns over inadequate infrastructure and the alleged under-utilisation of funds meant for tribal development.

The inspection was part of the CJP’s ‘Adivasi School Thik Karo’ campaign, which aims to document the condition of schools in tribal areas. The team visited schools in Demat, Pongli and Babari villages under Nayagaon tehsil.

According to the CJP, several schools lacked basic facilities, including drinking water, adequate classrooms and proper infrastructure. The team also alleged that land had been earmarked for schools at some locations but buildings had not been constructed.

In Demat, the team visited a government primary tribal school that Ranka said was in a dilapidated condition. He alleged that around 70 children were being taught by a single teacher and that the school had only two damaged classrooms.

Ranka also shared photographs and a video of the school on social media, highlighting the condition of the building and other facilities.

Residents told the team that they had been contributing money themselves to meet basic requirements and improve school facilities.

The CJP also questioned the alleged lapse of around Rs 1,500 crore from the Tribal Area Development (TAD) budget, demanding transparency on the allocation and utilisation of funds intended for tribal welfare and education.

“Why is the government not explaining how the massive Rs 1,500 crore budget allocated for Tribal Area Development is lapsing? Why is this budget not being utilised for the welfare of tribal people and the education of their children?” a CJP representative asked.

The party demanded that vacant school plots be used for constructing buildings, that basic facilities be provided immediately and that funds allocated for tribal development be fully utilised.

The visit is part of a wider CJP campaign launched earlier this month. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced the ‘Adivasi School Thik Karo’ initiative on 16 September, saying teams would inspect tribal schools in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat and other states.

The campaign follows the CJP’s broader ‘School Thik Karo’ initiative, under which the organisation has been inspecting government schools and raising concerns about infrastructure and teacher shortages.

Dipke has said the tribal-school campaign would initially focus on basic infrastructure, including classrooms and facilities for students. He has also raised concerns about the deaths of tribal students and cited a claim that more than 590 Adivasi students in Maharashtra had died over the past two years.

The CJP has called for immediate government intervention in Kherwara, particularly to ensure that children have access to safe school buildings, drinking water, classrooms, toilets and other basic educational facilities.