Around 150 girl students, all inmates of a Sevashram hostel in Kolnara of the district, left their hostel on Thursday in protest against harassment by outsiders who managed to enter the school campus.
Basanti Mandangi, a student, alleged that the girls staying in the hostel felt unsafe as they were constantly subjected to eve-teasing and vulgar comments by a group of outsiders who used to enter the hostel campus at will.
The girls took the step after the authorities concerned failed to prevent the outsiders from coming to the campus.
Last month, the then school headmaster Trinath Sahu had lodged an FIR against some miscreants who were eve-teasing the girls and they were arrested. The locals alleged that the miscreants were supported by members of the ruling party. After Sahu filed the FIR, he was transferred to Kasipur block.
When the miscreants were released on bail, they resorted to eve-teasing again.
The girls alleged that present headmistress Jiban Kumari Devi is not taking any step to solve the problem and also not staying in the school hostel. Without any superintendent, the girls were staying in the hostel along with two lady cooks.
District Social Welfare Officer Pradyumna Das, who rushed to the school on Thursday, said the students denied to return till their grievances are addressed.
ITDA Project Administrator Gorachand Gomango said efforts are on to persuade the girls to return and solve their problems at the earliest.