Demolition of Jaipur school building

The old building of Government Primary School in Rampura Kanwarpura village, located in the Bagru Assembly constituency of Rajasthan's Jaipur district, was demolished on Wednesday using a bulldozer, officials said. The demolition was carried out in the presence of district administration and education department officials, according to reports. An official was quoted as saying, "The building has been demolished."

The building had been declared dilapidated and unsafe following a technical survey in September 2025 and was subsequently taken out of use. Its 18 students have since been attending classes in two rooms and a tin shed arranged by villagers, with buffaloes tethered nearby, as reported by multiple sources. The school, constructed in 1999, had reportedly fallen into disrepair because of prolonged neglect and inadequate maintenance, according to one report.

New school building sanctioned

Following the demolition, work on a new school building began at the site. The Rajasthan government has sanctioned Rs 18 lakh for the project. According to officials, Rs 12 lakh was approved from the District Mineral Foundation Trust on August 13, and another Rs 6 lakh was provided from the MLA Local Area Development Fund. The new building announcement came last month, and construction work commenced on Wednesday.

CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka described the start of work as a victory under the party's 'School Thik Karo' campaign. "During the inspection, stones were thrown at us, women were assaulted, and car windows were broken. But when a good school is built for our children, it will all be worth it," he wrote on X. He also shared a video highlighting the condition of the school and said the facility had previously been operating from a buffalo shed.

Local residents welcomed the decision. Lalchand Sharma, a resident, said, "The recent incidents and chaos surrounding the school were unnecessary. Schools are temples of learning and should not be politicised." Other villagers expressed relief and happiness at the commencement of construction, saying they would cooperate with the work.

Background: August 21 confrontation

The school came into focus after a CJP team visited the village on August 21 as part of its campaign to inspect government schools. The team was allegedly prevented from entering the village by residents and was attacked, with Ranka among those allegedly assaulted. Five CJP workers were critically injured and seven others sustained injuries in the attack, according to reports. The villagers denied the CJP entry and drove the entire group away.

Following the incident, villagers filed a complaint at Shivdaspura police station against Ranka and his aides. CJP members, including Rekha and Salman, filed a counter-complaint alleging assault by the villagers. The CJP alleged that BJP workers had attacked its members, while villagers accused the visiting group of intimidating residents and creating a ruckus, as reported by ThePrint. The incident prompted widespread criticism of the state government, according to The New Indian Express.

CJP raises concerns over another school

The CJP has also raised concerns about the condition of Mahatma Gandhi School in Ponkh village, Jhunjhunu district. A delegation visited the school on Tuesday evening after residents raised concerns. Ranka alleged that much of the school, established in 1952, had fallen into disrepair despite once having 700 to 800 students and having produced civil servants, military officers, and engineers. He claimed that several classrooms had severely damaged roofs, the girls' toilet lacked adequate cover, and a section of the boundary wall was missing. He also alleged that the playground was riddled with potholes and posed a risk of snakes and scorpions, and that the drinking-water tank had rusted.

Ranka warned on Wednesday that the CJP would revisit the school and threatened to stage a sit-in with villagers if repair work does not begin, as reported by The New Indian Express.

Administration steps on school infrastructure

The developments come amid a high-level meeting held on Tuesday at the State Secretariat in Jaipur to make administration more transparent and citizen-centric. Chief Secretary V. Srinivas held an extensive closed-door discussion with 'Young Collectors' from seven key districts. During the meeting, deliberations focused on priority issues, including reforms in the education system, with emphasis on strengthening Rajasthan's school education. Srinivas instructed the collectors to conduct surprise and regular inspections of government schools and announced an investment of Rs 3,000 crore during the current year to strengthen school infrastructure. The collectors were tasked with ensuring basic amenities such as safe school buildings, clean drinking water, and hygienic toilets are provided without delay.