One Village – Two Different Stories
I follow Mr. Vinod Singh ji and his charitable foundation Samoon Foundation on LinkedIn. In June 2019, while posted in a neighbouring block, I had the opportunity to visit Village Osla, located on the famous Har Ki Dun trek route, where I stayed for two nights. It used to be the 14 kms tough trek till last year.
As an Education Officer, I was curious to see how school infrastructure is created in such difficult terrain, where construction material has to be carried manually by people and mules for nearly 14 kilometres. The challenge is immense—monsoon lasts almost four months, followed by snowfall, leaving only a few workable months each year for construction activities.
I visited the village schools. The Primary School had its own building, while the Junior High School was still under construction. Both schools had local teachers, initially appointed as Shiksha Mitras and later regularized into permanent positions.
Under the earlier Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and now Samagra Shiksha, the responsibility for constructing school buildings, toilets, and kitchen-cum-stores lies with the School Management Committees (SMCs), comprising parents and guardians. The intent behind this model is excellent: to strengthen community participation and create local employment opportunities.
Unfortunately, in many places, the true spirit of community participation is missing. Instead of ensuring safe infrastructure for their own children, some compromise on quality for personal gain.
The Junior High School building in Osla, reportedly sanctioned around 2012–13, still remains incomplete, despite the sanctioned funds having been withdrawn. There are also allegations regarding discrepancies in the donated land and the actual construction site—issues that deserve proper investigation.
Now comes the second story.
In the same village, Mr. Vinod ji, with the support of the local community, successfully constructed a school building in a remarkably short period.
This raises an important question:
Why did a private charitable initiative receive wholehearted community support, while the government school project—despite involving local teachers, local labourers, and local committees—could not achieve the same outcome?
Perhaps the answer lies beyond funding and policy.
It lies in intent, honesty, leadership, and collective responsibility.
#Education #SchoolInfrastructure #RuralEducation #CommunityParticipation #Leadership #Governance #SamagraShiksha #Uttarakhand #HarKiDun #SocialImpact
