BARIPADA: Communication between Baripada and Jaleswar on state highway-19 remained disrupted for more than four hours on Tuesday as people of Sankhabhanga blocked the road protesting the lack of classrooms and a hostel in the upper primary school.
The villagers including the parents took part in the protest alleging that their children were studying under trees and on terraces due to a lack of classrooms. While the government has granted the school permission to enrol students up to Class VIII, the institution has not done so. Currently, 148 students are enrolled in Classes I to VII of the school. Parents of students passing Class VII say they do not want their children to study on the terrace any more.
Badal Hembram, a guardian said, there are only two classrooms for the children and a small room meant for the office and other administrative works in the school.“We have met the collector and district education officer and requested them to take necessary steps for constructing classrooms and hostel but nothing was done,” they alleged. Even people’s representatives are aware of the problems but have not paid any heed to solve it, the parents added.
With no other option, we decided to draw the attention of the authorities towards the shortage of adequate facilities through protest, they said. Contacted, Sadar IIC Madhumita Mohanty said she along with a police team and Baripada tehsildar Bikram Kishore Parida rushed to the spot to convince the protesters.The protest was called off after the locals were assured that the construction would begin by December 2023 as the project has already been approved by the district administration.