Students of the tsunami devastated Devapathiraja Vidyalaya, Rathgama who are in temporary sheds are dreaming of well facilitated classrooms assured in the couple of new buildings that majestically stand opposite to them but reality seems far away due to the sluggish construction process.Nearly 2,000 students are in the national school. They were once battered by the tsunami in 2004 and since then they are constantly battling with rain and scorching sun, Junior Past Pupils’ Association’s Vice President D.Amarajeewa Rajakaruna said.
Following repeated requests by the Association, the Japanese Government agreed to provide Rs.289 million through JICA to reconstruct the school in a new premises, two miles off the coast but the local contractors of the project seem unable to meet the deadline of November 15, 2007 as the buildings are still incomplete, Rajakaruna said.
Several other problems have also emerged. A part of the slab of an old building collapsed last month banishing another 700 students to temporary sheds in the play ground. There is a gang engaging in robbing construction material including roof tiles and cement, the Vice President added.
“We request President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the educational authorities to look into the plight of the school and to take speedy action to complete construction work before the end of this year,†he added.