Madhya Pradesh school children stop minister’s convoy over poor road, school facilities

A group of schoolchildren in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district stopped the convoy of Minister of State for Forest and Environment Dilip Ahirwar to demand a paved approach road, reliable electricity and other basic facilities at their school.

The incident occurred on Friday in the Chandla Assembly constituency, around 80 kilometres from the district headquarters, as the minister’s motorcade passed through Basrahi.

Students from the local government secondary school intercepted the convoy and explained that they had been struggling for a considerable time because the road leading to the school was uneven and unpaved.

They also drew the minister’s attention to concerns over electricity and other essential infrastructure. A video showing the students stopping the convoy was subsequently shared widely on social media.

Ahirwar listened to their grievances and assured them that the matter would be addressed soon.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, the minister said construction of the road had been delayed because part of its proposed route passed through privately owned land.

He said officials had held discussions with the landowner and that the chief executive officer of the Janpad Panchayat had been instructed to proceed with the necessary work.

“Road construction will be started soon,” Ahirwar said.

The minister clarified that the school already had a boundary wall and that the students’ principal demand was for a proper approach road.

The students said they had resorted to stopping the convoy because the problem had remained unresolved despite being raised previously.

The incident follows similar instances across the country in which schoolchildren have directly approached public representatives to draw attention to inadequate educational infrastructure.

With PTI inputs