Kheel, Jul 31: Papum Pare Deputy Commissioner Vishakha Yadav on Thursday inaugurated a newly renovated smart classroom at Government Upper Primary School (GUPS), Kheel. The initiative falls under a holistic rural development programme implemented by Citizen Foundation, a Ranchi-based NGO operating in Sagalee since 2023, with support from HDFC Bank under its Parivartan initiative.
The smart classroom was formally handed over to the School Management Committee (SMC) by  Johny Kandula, Project Manager, Holistic Rural Development Programme (HRDP), Sagalee.
In her address, DC Vishakha Yadav thanked Citizen Foundationfor selecting Sagalee and Kheel for the project and called for collective community responsibility. “There is no shortage of government initiatives, but awareness and full utilization of resources is crucial,” she said.
She advised School Management Committees to convene monthly meetings and submit records to the DDSE and DC office. A “Teacher of the Month” award with financial incentives was proposed to recognize dedicated educators, and the DC cautioned that teachers failing in attendance and performance would face strict action. “The future of our children lies in the hands of our teachers,” she added.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Sagalee, Higio Yame, advised the students to stay away from drugs and to report any related incidents. She also requested the DDSE to deploy substitute teachers in early learning and pre-primary centres where currently only one teacher is managing all responsibilities.
Deputy Director of School Education (DDSE) T. T. Tara expressed his gratitude to the Foundation and emphasized the need to train teachers in using smart classroom tools effectively. He appealed to parents to support and adopt local government schools like GUPS Kheel, rather than opting for distant private schools. He also stressed the importance of teacher regularity.
 Johny Kandula shared that Citizen Foundation is currently working across 15 panchayats in the Sagalee region, focusing on natural resource management through solar systems, renovation of Health and Wellness Centres and Anganwadi centres, and support to Self-Help Groups (SHGs) engaged in agriculture, horticulture, and small-scale entrepreneurship.
On the occasion, SMC Chairman Tok Tubin submitted a memorandum to the DC requesting the construction of an assembly shed and teacher quarters. He highlighted that although the school has six teachers, most are unable to stay at Kheel due to lack of accommodation.
As part of her extensive visit, the DC also inspected Government Secondary Schools at Toru and Nimte, where she interacted with students, visited smart classrooms, and sought feedback. She recommended scheduling smart classes for all grades to ensure equal learning opportunities.
The DC  also inspected the infrastructures of Toru Engineering College. Observing the current condition and progress, she directed all concerned departments—including PHED and Electrical—to work on a war-footing to ensure that the college becomes fully functional and ready for the next academic session.
 She emphasized that all efforts must be expedited so that the institution whose foundation stone was laid in 2015 , can start serving students without further delay.
She further visited the Government Girls Residential School, Sarka Happa, where she interacted with the students and staff, reviewed the facilities, and reaffirmed the district administration’s commitment to strengthening residential education for girls.
At Government Higher Secondary School, Sagalee, the DC reviewed academic and infrastructural status and emphasized the importance of holistic development and teacher accountability. She also interacted with both teaching and non-teaching staff, encouraging them to work collaboratively for better outcomes.
The DC was accompanied by ADC Sagalee Higio Yame, CO Toru Fema Taku, DDSE T.T Tara, OSDs to 15-Sagalee MLA Adv.Nabam Tatum Hina and Debia Lalum Tara and HoOs of Sagalee block, PRI members and GBs.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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