To ward off Covid fear, HM shells out Rs 1 lakh to sanitise school

TIRUVANNAMALAI: With talks underway about schools reopening in Tamil Nadu, a 50-year-old government school headmaster A Saravanan in Tiruvannamalai district is spending Rs1 lakh from his own pocket to sanitise and refurbish the school building at Devikapuram in Arani, where he teaches. The building was turned into a screeningcum-quarantine centre by the health department for the past four months.
When the Tiruvannamalai district administration decided to set up at least one quarantine facility centre in each talukas.the Devikapuram high school building was shortlisted for Arani taluk-.“When the Tamil Nadu state government considered reopening schools and began handing back the quarantine centres to managements, the facility at Devikapuram was also evacuated on September 10,” said the official who did not want to be named.
“Though the district administration and the public health department had taken appropriate measures to sanitise the school building to prevent spread of Covid-19, there was some hesitation among the school childrenabout visiting the premises,” said Saravanan.
“As I feared the situation will affect enrolment of students, I spent ₹1.1 lakh to repaint the benches, desks and walls of the school building. With the help of civic body officials we also sanitised the entire premise once again.” Saravanan said.