BARIPADA: The 128-year-old Sanskrit Toll here imparting Sanskrit education to students has remained closed for the past few months depriving students of education. A single key, however, keeps hanging at the entrance of the institution. Though the Mass Education Department directed enrolment of 20-30 students at the institute, admissions and readmissions to the institute have been stalled owing to the closure of the school for the past few months.
Alleging neglect of the state government in keeping the century-old institution alive, leaders and workers of BJP on Monday demanded immediate action for its revival. The toll was built by Maharaj Sriramchandra Bhanjdeo in 1894 for the development of Sanskrit language and offered education to students from class 6 to 10.The Centre has given priority for the development of Sanskrit language so that more teachers and students can be produced but the State Government did not render the support required, said Baripada MLA Prakash Soren.
“The State government did not provide any financial assistance for the infrastructure development, as a result there is no protection wall around the school. Thus the land has been illegally encroached upon by vendors,” alleged Soren. Anti-socials occupy the place to carry out unlawful activities on the premises, sources said..The MLA however, claimed that the Pradhan Pandit or headmaster of the institute Tarasankar Mohapatra retired from service on February 28 and the District Education Officer Nabakishore Giri gave charge temporarily to Jaysri Nanda. But the toll remains closed.
“We demand immediate posting of adequate manpower, both teaching and non-teaching, opening the institution, allowing admission of students and provision of financial assistance for infrastructure development.“The institution is connected to the emotion of Mayurbhanj people and a memory of the Maharaj who had contributed immensely to the field of health, education, literature and development of the district,” Soren said. He alongwith Kavi Bishnu Satpaand other workers of BJP and local people presented a memorandum in this regard to district Collector Vineet Bhardwaj.