By TC News Desk
Agartala, 26th March 2025: The School Education Department has clarified that there is no school named Junior Basic at Charipara Lokenath Ashram under the Badharghat assembly constituency. The Junior Basic School in the area is officially named Belabar JB School and the department currently has no plans to upgrade it to a Senior Basic School.
In a written reply during the fourth day of the state assembly budget session on Wednesday, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, who also holds the Education portfolio stated, “No proposal has been received from the School Management Committee or the District Education Officer to upgrade Belabar JB School to a Senior Basic School. Moreover, the school lacks the necessary infrastructure for such an upgrade.”
The school, which has five classrooms, 98 students, and three teachers, is surrounded by three other schools within a 1 to 1.5 km radius—Belabar Higher Secondary School, Sachindralal Vidyaniketan, and Ananda Vidyaniketan. “Students of Belabar JB School can continue their education in these nearby institutions after completing their primary education,” the Chief Minister added.
However, BJP MLA Mina Rani Sarkar raised concerns about the challenges faced by economically weaker families in the area. “After Belabar Higher Secondary School was promoted to a ‘Vidyajyoti’ school, it has become difficult for local residents to afford sending their children there. For the welfare of local children, the Junior Basic School at Charipara beside Loknath Ashram needs to be upgraded to a Senior Basic School,” Sarkar emphasized in a supplementary query.
The Chief Minister assured that if a formal proposal is submitted, the department will consider the request for upgrading the school.
