Bhubaneswar: Taking a serious note of the delay in completion of hostel buildings for ST and SC students in Keonjhar and Rayagada, the Odisha government has asked the two district Collectors to initiate action against the agencies concerned for ‘disastrous’ progress in the projects.
ST & SC Development department Secretary Roopa Roshan Sahoo has written letters to Keonjhar and Rayagada district Collectors in this connection, official sources said.
It was stated that the hostels of ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department are an enabler for marginalised communities to pursue the dream of education.
While several PSUs have taken up the task of completing the buildings so that the students can be accommodated, the agency – Bridge & Roof Company (India) Ltd – took up the work in Keonjhar district.
Similarly, HSCL (India) Ltd has taken up the task of completing the hostel building in Rayagada district.
However, the progress in work is disastrous in both these districts, leading to denial of opportunities to the children of ST and SC communities to access services, it was stated in the letters.
The department was of the view that this neglect in duty makes the agencies liable under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act) 1989.
Therefore, the Secretary asked the Collectors of Keonjhar and Rayagada to initiate suitable action against the agencies concerned for “inadmissible conduct in delaying projects of highest priority”, they said. Both the district Collectors were asked to treat this as ‘top priority.’
