Odisha Govt Orders Cleaning Of School Premises

Bhubaneswar: The prospects of reopening of the schools in Odisha have brightened as the state government on Thursday directed the school authorities to clean the premises.

The School and Mass Education department in a notification has directed the school authorities to take up cleaning activities of the campus and the infrastructure which have been lying idle for the last seven months since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The notification further stated that as the government has prepared an action plan for an intensive and focused COVID-19 campaign to be rolled out very soon, the participation of all teachers is required so that the IEC (Information, Education and Communication) materials approved by the government can reach the students, parents and the community for successful implementation of the campaign.

The department has asked the District Education Officers (DEOs) to ensure the availability of teachers at their respective headquarters and maintain pre-COVID-19 status in all the educational institutions. Any deviation will be viewed seriously, it added.

For the payment of the monthly honorarium of Rs 1400 for 1,13,628 cook-cum-helpers in the Anganwadi centres in all 30 districts, the department has approved Rs 31,88,58,400 for July and August.

School and Mass Education minister Samir Ranjan Dash had recently told the media that the government will take a decision in the last week of October on the reopening of schools in November as the chief minister has directed the closure till the Puja vacation.

However, considering the COVID-19 situation in the state, the government will decide the date for the reopening of the schools.