MALKANGIRI: Demanding admission in schools,
hundreds of SC and ST students and their parents on Monday resorted to a road blockade disrupting vehicular movement in Malkangiri district.
The protesters squatted on the main road at Kadamguda junction under Khairput block, about 60 km from here. As a result, vehicular traffic through the area to Andhra Pradesh, Chitrakonda and Balimela from one side and Jeypore, Koraput and Bhubaneswar and Cuttack on the other was disrupted.
Alleging that the students who passed their eighth standard in Khairput block were given admission to the ninth standard in different high schools, president of Sarbasisakti Sanghathan Rama Pangi, spearheading the agitation, said they would continue the dharna till their demand was fulfilled.
At least eight upper primary schools in the block had been upgraded to high schools.
But students who passed eighth required to move to another high school to complete their study up to 10th standard.
The students faced problem seeking admission
in other high schools in the block and many preferred quitting their studies to
being harassed, Pangi alleged.
District Inspector of Schools-1(DI), Malkangiri, Udayanath Mishra said he was aware of the problem but denied the charge of harassment.
“Due to shortage of
hostels in high schools for SC/ST students this problem has cropped up. We have suggested a few schools for their admission, but the parents are reluctant because of the distance,” he said, adding that efforts were on to sort out the problem in consultation with the authorities.