Adarsha Vidyalayas, in a sorry state of affairs in Odisha  

When parents got their children admitted to Adarsha Vidyalayas hoping for a better education, they hardly had any idea that their children would have to study under trees. Believe it or not, it is the present state of several Adarsha Vidyalayas in the state. 

With these institutes struggling with lack of infrastructure, the students are forced to sit either under trees or in cyclone shelters across the state.

The Adarsha Vidyalaya at Hinjala under Sadar block in Balasore district is a case in point. Here students are forced to sit on polythene sheets spread on the ground at a cyclone shelter. On the other hand, the school’s building is lying half-constructed. The contractor has left it in its present state for the reasons best known to him and the school authorities. 

Worth mentioning, the school building was being built at a cost of Rs 8 crore. As per the information board installed at the construction site, the school building construction work should end by the end of December, 2023. When the pillar construction work is yet to be started, it is well-understood how the construction work is being taken care of.  

Meanwhile, two sessions of admissions have already been completed and the school’s strength has reached 132. 

“The construction work started two years ago. But it is yet to be completed. The students are facing difficulties to go to the cyclone shelter,” said a parent. 

Another fumed parent said, “The children are going to the cyclone shelter after crossing the railway lines, putting their lives at risk every day. If anything happens to them, the government will be responsible for that.”

When asked, district Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde said, “We will blacklist the contractor and a new contractor will be engaged.”
Another such school is located in Delang block in Puri district. Here too the school doesn’t have its own building. As a result, initially, the students were taught under a tree on the premises of Beraboi High School.

It was when the parents objected that the classrooms were shifted from under the tree to the nearby Mahatab school. The situation is no better here either. While a number of students are made to sit in a comparatively smaller room, the students complain they are sweating a lot as the classroom is devoid of fans and can’t concentrate on studying due to noise.

“We are not able to concentrate on study due to noise. Today, we were made to sit under a tree,” alleged a student. 

“There is no drinking water facility and chairs for children. They are made to sit on torn polythene sheets and under a tree. How they will study here?” asked a fumed parent. 

When asked, district education officer (DEO) Biswajit Ghol said, “Constructions of Adarsha Vidyalayas in Delang, Pipili and Astarang block are underway. Once the construction work is over, the schools will be shifted to their own buildings.”