School ceiling collapses in Odisha, corruption exposed in 5T project!

Major corruption was alleged in the 5T project when the ceiling of Biramal High School in Odisha's Bargarh district collapsed in a distressing incident.

According to sources, the school which was constructed only two years ago had poor-quality construction. Following the collapse, the school committee promptly informed the relevant authorities, including the BEO (Block Education Officer) and the BDO (Block Development Officer). The District Education Officer has stated that the investigation is now under the purview of the BDO and BEO. A solution will be proposed soon, and after discussions with the District Administration, appropriate compensation will be provided, the authorities said. 

The renovation, which cost Rs 45 lakhs, was carried out as a part of the 5T initiative of the previous government aimed at creating smart classrooms and enhancing the learning environment. However, the ceiling collapsed within a couple of years. Fortunately, the collapse occurred on a holiday, so no students were injured. Keeping the safety of the students in mind, the school is conducting classes outside the classrooms on the veranda. 

“The ceiling of our classroom collapsed and we are facing a lot of problems sitting outside. We are taking our classes on the veranda but it is difficult when it rains and teachers are also not being able to teach in the classroom in the fear that the remaining portion of the ceiling might collapse. It was a holiday when the incident took place,” said a student of the Biramal High School.

“The renovation was carried out in 2021-2022 by contractor Belara Meher and the construction was also inspected by engineers. However, the ceiling collapsed which indicates towards poor construction work. We have informed the district administration and the BDO among others. We conducted an emergency meeting with our school’s managing committee,” said Surya Kumar Panda, Principal of the Biramal High School.

Meanwhile, the contractor responsible for the renovation attributed the collapse of the ceiling due to rainwater leakage from the roof.

Repoted By: Dharmadutta Padhee