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| Classes at Loknath Colony
Project Primary School are being conducted temporarily at an anganwadi
centre and (right) the another primary school functioning in a thatched
house in Paradip. Telegraph pictures |
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Paradip, March 25: The government-run primary education system is the latest victim of dual administration in the port town.
Six government-run primary schools do not
have permanent buildings as the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) authorities
refused to allot land to the state government to construct the
buildings. At present, the schools are being operated from temporary
structures. These schools are meant for slum children belonging to
scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities.
All these schools are housed in temporary
accommodation extended by private organisations. Though flush with funds
under reconstruction of school buildings programme (RSBP), the school
and mass education department has failed bring up school buildings as
the port authorities have thrown a spanner on their plan.
“Within the Paradip Municipality’s jurisdiction, there are 14 government-run primary schools.
“While eight of those located within the
planned civil township have permanent buildings, the rest of such
schools in slum settlements are languishing without buildings of their
own,” said Surath Mallick, executive officer, Paradip Municipality.
“The schools lacking building
infrastructure are Bangalipada Primary School (ward-18), Loknath Colony
Project Primary School, Lockpada Primary School, Bangalipada Primary
School (ward-6), Balijhara Gholapada Primary School and Beer-Factory
Primary School,” said Debendra Das, district inspector of schools,
Kujang.
“The schools are presently functioning
temporarily in local anganwadi centres, the offices of self-help groups
and youth clubs. Academic activities are getting affected for obvious
reasons as the schools do not have their own infrastructure. Children
enrolled in these schools are getting deprived of mid-day meal as there
is no room for cooking foods for the school’s children,” said Mallick,
executive officer of the municipality.
The Jagatsinghpur district collector,
Narayan Chandra Jena, said: “These schools are facing several problems.
The administration has decided to solve the crisis as children from poor
families are enrolled in these schools. The municipality authorities
and the school and mass education department officials have been
directed to submit a report regarding the lack of infrastructure of
these institutions.”
“The private building where our school is
functioning also houses an anganwadi centre, an organisation’s office,
and a self-help group office, besides a youth club. On most occasions,
we are forced to teach students on the balcony of the building. There is
no facility to provide meals to the children,” said Laxmi Mahakud,
headmistress of the Loknath Colony Project Primary School.
The PPT authorities, however, said the
problem is that these government-run institutions have come up in
unauthorised and encroached land.
“The PPT’s policy is not against opening
up of schools by the government. But it should be established in a
litigation-free land,” said Pravat Kumar Nanda, secretary of the PPT.
(sourced from the telegraph)
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