MALKANGIRI: Twenty-two kilometres from Mathili block headquarters, the insides of Saveri Vidyapitha’s hostel at Kianga wears a tired look. The plasters are peeling off the walls and ceiling; the roof is damp and discoloured due to seepage in the rainy season.
In one room, some inmates have put out polythene sheets to save themselves from the leak. The irony cannot be betrayed when the State government has been transforming schools with smart classes. The Mirabai Scheduled Tribe & Scheduled Caste hostel has a total of 28 boarders but wallows in neglect and poor conditions. There are 15 inmates from Class 10 and 13 from Class 9.
Saveri Vidyapitha is under School and Mass Education department but the hostel is managed by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA). Hostel staff claimed they approached authorities concerned several times but nothing has come of it yet. “The inmates feel insecure as the building looks unsafe,” hostel warden Shakuntala Nayak said. All this hampers students’ studies as they remain anxious during the monsoons. Given the dilapidated condition, locals, as well as parents, have demanded the shifting of students to another place.
Mathili Welfare Extension Officer (WEO) Sashikant Samantray said the ITDA project administrator and assistant engineer have already been apprised about the building’s condition. Contacted, District Welfare Officer Krupa Sindhu Behera told TNIE that the hostel building belongs to ITDA and he has already drawn the attention of the ITDA Project Administrator to the matter.