The twin state-run middle and high schools in Bhalubasa, Jamshedpur, which share a campus, will get a massive makeover by this year-end, thanks to a doting son of an illustrious alumnus.

Lalit Kumar Das (28), the son of chief minister Raghubar Das who studied in Rajkiyakrit Harijan Madhya Vidyalaya from Classes I to VIII and in Rajkiyakrit Harijan Uchha Vidyalaya in Classes IX-X, visited the campus and met the two principals to find out what the schools needed.

Das passed his matriculation in 1971. Another former chief minister, Das's own party colleague Arjun Munda, also studied in the same high school - not the middle one - and passed matriculation 12 years later.

Both the middle and high schools are decades old, the former set up in 1935 and the latter in 1950. Speaking to The Telegraph, Lalit, who is a manager with Tata Steel HR and is the convener of an NGO, Samarpan, said his father spoke fondly of his school years.

"Whenever he comes to Jamshedpur, he talks about his school," Lalit, who is media-shy, said on Tuesday when he visited the Bhalubasa campus 1.5km from his Agrico home. "Last year, my father used his MLA funds for the new school building (G+2). This time, I decided to pool in resources from my NGO and speak to administrative officials to ensure students have basic amenities before the year-end."

But, both the middle and high schools are beset with problems, the chief minister's son discovered after speaking to principals Sashikanta Minz and Rana Binod Kumar Singh.

"We have a building but not grilles, so there's a risk of small children falling off the top floor. There is no kitchen shed, which forces us to keep midday meal utensils in classrooms. There is no proper water supply to toilets and we immediately need a night guard as every other day goons break in. We also need a library," Minz, speaking about her school with 187 boys and 245 girls, said.

Singh, the principal of the high school that has on its rolls 135 girls and 98 boys, also said they needed more infrastructure. "We need desks and benches, computers, fans and lab equipment and a hall. We also need better drinking water facility as we have only one tube well, and a playground as the nearby ground lacks a boundary wall and local youths loiter on it during school hours," he said.

Lalit, accompanied by Pawan Kumar Agarwal, the representative of Das in his capacity of Jamshedpur East MLA, handed over two fans for the high school and one for the middle school. He also promised two computers at the high school and one in the middle school within a week through his NGO.

"I will speak to East Singhbhum SSP Anoop T. Mathew today (Tuesday) itself and get at least a Home Guard jawan for night campus security. We will also speak to Jusco for piped water supply to toilets and drinking water kiosks. I will speak to the district education officials for a kitchen shed and grilles, desk and benches, library and lab equipment and more fans and lights," he said.

Lalit also asked Agarwal to see to it that paver blocks were put on the campus to level the ground and ensure local youths did not play on the ground during schools hours.

Should all MPs and MLAs help their alma mater? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com