Unpaid power bills leave 5,000 students in Gwalior schools without electricity

The unpaid electricity bills of government schools in Gwalior have left around 5 thousand students studying without power. The schools’ electricity connections were automatically disconnected through smart meters after the bills remained unpaid. Fans have been off for two days, and students are having to attend classes in hot and humid rooms.

The heat and humidity are now affecting both classroom studies and student attendance. Many students are reportedly avoiding school because of the uncomfortable conditions. The absence of electricity has also made it difficult for teachers to conduct classes in the normal manner.

With the fans not working, children are being forced to sit for hours in rooms that are hot and humid. The impact is being seen directly in the classroom, with studies getting affected and the number of students attending school declining.

The issue has raised questions about why the electricity bills were not paid on time. The delay happened at the administrative level, but the direct impact has fallen on the students. Questions are also being raised about why arrangements for payment were not made in time, even when information about the pending bills was available.

The automatic disconnection system linked to the smart meters has made the situation more serious. Once the connections were cut, the schools were left without electricity and the fans stopped working. Within two days, the effect became visible in the classrooms and in student attendance.

The principal of the school, Vijay Kumar Peeperolia, said, “दो दिन से लाइट बंद, छात्र कम आ रहे”, the power has been off for two days and fewer students are coming. He said the school’s electricity supply had remained disconnected for two days.

Peeperolia said a team from the electricity department had also reached the school, but the supply had not yet been restored. The lack of electricity has affected not only studies but also office work at the school, making it difficult for the school to carry out its regular activities.

He said small children study at the school. Because of the heat and humidity, their attendance has been affected and the number of students coming to school has gone down. He added that the school had spoken to the electricity department and received an assurance that the supply would be restored soon.

Ajit Rajput, DGM of the eastern division, said the connections had been disconnected because the electricity bills were pending. He said orders had been received from the government to restore the connections.

Rajput said the electricity connections would be connected again soon and the supply would be made smooth. The statement has raised expectations that the schools will get power back shortly.

However, the issue is not limited to when the connections will be restored. Questions remain about why the electricity bills of the schools were not paid on time, what steps the responsible officials took before the situation developed and why the studies of around 5 thousand children were allowed to be affected.

Efforts are being made to increase student attendance in schools and improve the quality of education. At the same time, students are being forced to sit in the heat because of the absence of a basic facility like electricity. Once the connections are restored, the power supply is expected to return to normal. The larger question is whether responsibility will be fixed for the alleged lapse in paying the bills on time.