Govt. Middle School in Nero Tulail, near LOC, now has a new block named after the actor’s father, complete with computer lab and library.
Gurez, May 22: Nearly five years after Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar visited a remote border village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district and pledged ₹1 crore for a local school, the Government Middle School in Nero Tulail has been transformed.
Official sources told The Web Story/The Varmul Post
the new building, named the ‘Shri Hari Om Bhatia Education Block’ after Kumar’s father, now houses four classrooms, a computer laboratory, a library, and teacher offices. Students, who once studied in dilapidated rooms, now attend classes in a modern facility that also provides the midday meal in a cleaner setting.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar had visited Tulail village in Gurez Valley in 2021 on the invitation of the Border Security Force (BSF) to spend time with jawans posted along the Line of Control. During his visit, he interacted with schoolchildren, saw their needs first-hand, and announced the donation.
During the same trip, he danced with BSF personnel, posed for photographs, and laid a wreath at the war memorial to honour soldiers killed in action. In a social media post later, he called the experience “memorable and humbling” officials added.
Locals say the new infrastructure has changed the schooling experience for children in the far-flung border area. “Earlier, we lacked basic facilities. Now we have a computer lab and a library. Our children don’t have to go elsewhere,” a resident said.
The school, which runs under the government’s midday meal scheme, now offers a better academic environment, strengthening educational prospects for children living along the volatile LoC local sources said.
The construction of the Shri Hari Om Bhatia Education Block has been completed using the funds donated by Kumar in 2021. The block is now fully operational, supporting teaching, learning, and daily activities at Government Middle School Nero Tulail.
