Malkangiri: Another Ashram School in Odisha’s Malkangiri came under focus on Saturday when around 20 students scaled the campus wall and went to district collector to complain about mismanagement in their hostel.
Speaking to media persons near the collector’s office, the students of Mariwada Ashram School said they have been facing several problems for a long time. When their repeated complaints to the school authorities failed to elicit any response, they sought the attention of district welfare officer (DWO) Krupasindhu Behera. But Behera also did not take any steps to solve the issues, they added.
On their problems, the students alleged that the hostel superintendent was involved in siphoning off the rice meant for the hostel boarders and replacing it with inferior quality rice. Besides, he was engaging the students in school manual jobs like cleaning the drain besides his personal and domestic works, they added.
They further said there was no adequate supply of drinking water, while they have to go outside in absence of toilet facilities in the hostel.
The students said they woke up early in the morning and scaled the boundary wall of the hostel to come walking to the collectorate which is located several kms away from the school. They met the district welfare officer in the collectorate and narrated their problems to him.
In his response, Behera said he had received the students’ complaint earlier and listened to their problems directly from them. “I have taken note of the issues. After investigation, stringent actions would be taken against those who would be found involved in any irregularities or negligence of duty,” he added.
It may be noted that two students of of Kalaganda Ashram Vidyalaya in Kaldapali panchayat under Padia block in the district had died on Monday and Tuesday due to an unknown disease. It led the panic stricken guardians to take their children from the school.
Following this, a team of doctors went to the school and collected blood samples from the students while the Health officials took the samples of water consumed by them. As many as 12 students were admitted to the district headquarters hospital at Malkangiri and the Padia CHC.
