Broken windows, dirty toilets: CJP drive exposes neglect at rural Maharashtra school

Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke launched the 'School Thik Karo' campaign in Hingoli on Independence Day.

3 min readPuneAug 16, 2026 11:15 AM IST

Abhijeet Dipke with students of a school in Hingoli on Independence Day (Photo: X/Abhijeet Dipke).

Abhijeet Dipke, founder and national coordinator of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), launched the ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign on Independence Day. As the campaign’s first initiative, Dipke conducted a systematic infrastructure audit of the government school in Santuk Pimpri in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district.

“The audit revealed several critical deficiencies affecting the daily learning environment and health of the students,” said Dipke soon after his party conducted the audit at the school.

“The audit revealed a lack of safe drinking water, insufficient seating benches for students, unclean and dilapidated toilets, broken windows and inadequate infrastructure and water supply,” Dipke said.

Broken windows in govt school being covered with the banners of Dy CM of Maharashtra. #SchoolThikKaro pic.twitter.com/XgXIcvbbnC

— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) August 15, 2026

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Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Dipke said, “It is deeply regrettable that even after 80 years of independence, children in our villages are denied the basic facilities required to learn, progress, and dream of a better future.”

He said this is not an isolated issue and that inadequate infrastructure is undermining the promise of equal opportunity across India. “While children should be sitting in classrooms building their futures, many are being pushed into labour at construction sites and brick kilns. This vicious cycle must stop now.”

Dipke launched the campaign after participating in the Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony at the government school in his native village of Santuk Pimpri.

Dipke said the campaign is a strictly non-political initiative focused on action, accountability, and ground-level work rather than political rhetoric.

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The campaign, he said, will mobilise rural communities, youth, and local stakeholders to identify gaps, conduct systematic school audits, and work toward practical solutions. “It also reinforces that clean drinking water, functional toilets, healthcare, and quality education are fundamental rights and essential public services, not political favours.”

Appealing for greater public participation in local institutions, Dipke urged citizens to move beyond political blame games and take collective responsibility to improve public infrastructure for their children.

“The immediate objective of the ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign is to establish a systematic framework for inspecting, repairing, and upgrading rural government schools, ensuring that underprivileged children in rural areas get an equal opportunity to learn, succeed, and fulfil their aspirations, just like any other child in India,” he said.

The campaign has started with school-level infrastructure audits and community participation, with the larger goal of building a comprehensive and sustainable grassroots movement for rural educational infrastructure.

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On Independence Day, the CJP’s Instagram account was briefly suspended, prompting Dipke to claim ‘an attempt to silence’ the youth movement, before it was restored.

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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