29 girl students leave govt residential school in Gajapati

Gajapati: As many as 29 girl students left the hostel of a government residential school at Antaraba under Mohana area in Gajapati district on Saturday night.

Though the exact reason behind the missing girls is yet to be ascertained, it is being suspected that the students were unhappy with the school authority over several issues.

“Officials of the district administration are searching for the students at probable places. Besides, police have set up checking points as we had information that they were moving towards Paralakhemundi,” Anupam Saha, Collector, Gajapati.

"The students left a handwritten letter mentioning that the teachers of the school were not coordinating with them regarding some issues following which they were compelled to leave the hostel," District Welfare Officer(DWO) of Kandhamal, Santosh Rath said

After the incident, the school authorities and District Welfare Officer (DWO) have launched a search operation to trace the missing girls.

"The searches are on to trace the girl students and officials have also been sent to the houses of those students to carry out investigation," the DWO added.

"When I heard that some girls are missing from the hostel, I came to see my daughter. When I asked the authorities, they said that the students have gone to meet the Collector over some issues in the hostel," informed a parent.

The headmaster of the school, Manoj Rath informed, "We had visited the houses of two students but they were not there. We have launched a search operation."

Rath added that the students had earlier expressed their resentment over some issues with their teachers which was resolved then. He also said that this time too they probably left the hostel for the same reason.