Minister’s delay to inaugurate govt event forces Ooty school to cancel annual day

Udhagamandalam: As many as 400 students of SRVS School in Ooty and their parents were disappointed after the school’s annual day was cancelled on Saturday as the venue booked for the purpose was to be used for a government function, which got delayed by about four hours after the municipal administration and rural development minister S P Velumani, who was to inaugurate the event, failed to reach the spot on time.
The school management had booked a hall at the Resource Centre for Tribal Culture (RCTC) located on the Garden Road for the annual day, which was scheduled to be held at 1pm on Saturday, four months ago.

The same hall was, however, selected for the implementation of scooter distribution scheme. The government function was scheduled to begin at 11am and the beneficiaries were asked to reach the venue by 8.30am, which they did.

However, the programme was delayed by four hours as Velumani could reach the venue only at 2.30pm. Meanwhile, the school management cancelled the annual day programme.

“I don’t know whom to blame. Our children are really disappointed and so are we,” said a student’s mother, who didn’t want to be named.

Velumani, meanwhile, distributed 154 scooters to the beneficiaries. He also handed over Rs 2.10 lakh each to 100 beneficiaries for constructing dwelling units under the slum clearance scheme.

Later, the minister laid a foundation stone for a housing scheme at Prakasapuram in Ketti town panchayat near Ooty, also under the slum clearance scheme. Under the project, 180 houses would be constructed at a cost of Rs 19.70 crore.

Speaking on the occasion, Velumani said, “As many as 3,250 dwelling units will be constructed in Ooty, Coonoor and Gudalur taluks under the slum clearance scheme.”

Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya and local MLAs, among others, attended the functions.