Despite giving a written assurance last week to vacate three government school rooms in Jagraon by November 11, the Home Guard volunteer force has failed to do so.

The house guards have been using the three rooms of the Government Smart Primary School, Basic, Jagraon, as offices since 2018. Last week, they submitted a written memorandum to the tehsildar concerned after the latter’s visit to the school.

Home Guards District Commander Satya Prakash said, “We tried to meet the Deputy Commissioner on Monday, but he was not available due to the Vice President’s planned visit. We have requested another meeting with him in a day or two. We have identified three alternative buildings to move and if ordered by DC, we will move them immediately.

On September 20, the deputy commissioner had ordered the guards to vacate the three rooms within 15 days.

Now residents and teachers said they plan to move things forward to get the rooms vacated.

Members of the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), along with senior education leaders and school staff, announced that they would stage a protest outside the school on Thursday, November 14 against the bodyguards who would not have respected the orders of the DC.

“Students have been waiting a long time. The home guards even ignored the DC’s orders,” said Davinder Singh Sidhu, district vice-president of the DTF. “DTF members, other unions and senior educators will hold a two-hour protest,” he added.

Union member Hardeep Singh said if the bodyguards do not leave the scene after Thursday’s protest, they will intensify the protest.

Karamjeet Kaur, a teacher at the school, said students were being harassed due to lack of space resulting from guards using the rooms.

“Our school has around 375 students and with only six rooms available, we are forced to hold two classes in one room, which affects student learning,” she said. Earlier on November 4, local senior citizens and senior educators had set a one-week “deadline” to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office to resolve the issue.

Jagraon tehsildar Surinder Singh visited the school on November 7 along with education officials.