ROURKELA: In line with the State government’s high school transformation programme under the 5T initiative, the Sundargarh administration has decided to give a makeover to hostels run by the ST & SC Development (SSD) department.
The decision was taken to enable improved care, amenities and study ambience to around 48,000 ST and SC students residing in 514 hostels attached to the schools run by the Mass Education and the SSD departments in Sundargarh.
District welfare officer (DWO) Pabitra Mohan Pradhan said the proposed transformation plan envisages renovation of hostel buildings, augmentation of amenities including toilets, bathrooms, dining halls, common rooms and construction of new buildings, boundary walls and playgrounds wherever needed. For the purpose, necessary funds would be mobilised from the three Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) and District Mineral Foundation. The components of Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guaranteed Scheme would be used to develop gardens and greenery to create a soothing ambience in hostels.
On Tuesday, Sundargarh Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan held a meeting with senior officials to formulate modalities for implementation of the initiative.
Official sources said 207 primary school hostels were constructed around three to four decades back and most of these are in poor condition. Students of some dilapidated hostels have been shifted to main school buildings. Similarly, 33 ST boy’s hostels and 211 ST girl’s hostels have come up after 2004-05. Most of the hostel buildings are deprived of necessary repair and maintenance with the ITDAs responsible for upkeep of the hostels facing fund constraints.
The DWO further informed that it has been planned to make extra dietary provisions for boarders in addition to the existing entitlements and also introduce vocational training programmes in hostels. After the panchayat elections, a detailed survey of the hostels would be conducted to assess the requirements of individual buildings.
Under the high school transformation programme, 195 government schools of the district have been given a facelift with clean environment and facilities like smart classrooms, modern science and ICT labs, e-libraries and hygienic toilets.