Eight Years of Delay – Kumaranellur School Building Still Unfinished

In Kumaranellur, Palakkad, a new school building meant for over 1,400 students has been left incomplete since construction began in 2017. The old roadside building was demolished that year to make space for a modern two-storey school, but as of July 2025, the structure remains unfinished and unusable. The project was launched with ₹1.79 crore and given to the Habitat organization to build 10 new classrooms with better toilets and facilities for the high school section. But progress was badly affected by the 2018 Kerala floods, the COVID-19 pandemic, and administrative delays. Although work briefly picked up after Minister M B Rajesh stepped in, it has now almost come to a halt again.

Infrastructure Left Unfinished

• Fundamental elements like bathrooms, electricals, furniture, bookshelves, and painting remain unfinished.

• Rainwater leakage through upper floors into the staircases continues to be unresolved, further damaging what has already been built.

• Visible neglect is everywhere hardware such as screws in electrical panels have rusted due to exposure from prolonged abandonment.

Impact on Students and Community

With the new building unusable, classes are crammed into makeshift spaces: the multimedia room, storeroom, and even the stage have doubled as classrooms, impacting the learning environment. Both the Parent-Teacher Association and local residents are frustrated, renewing their demand for urgent action. Completing the new block is also seen as crucial for renovating older classrooms in use.

Local Voices Call for Change

This persistent delay not only deprives students of quality infrastructure, but also points to broader challenges in project management and governance in Kerala’s public education sector. The Kumaranellur situation is an example of how even promising initiatives can falter without sustained attention and accountability.

To fix the long delay at the Kumaranellur school building, several urgent steps are needed. First, construction must restart immediately, with priority on toilets, electricity, and classroom furniture. Second, the government should step in to audit the project, clear administrative delays, and speed up the work. Finally, parents, teachers, and local residents must keep pushing for progress to ensure the school is fully ready for students and staff.

Read more at: https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2025/07/29/kumaranalloor-school-building-incomplete.html