Phulbani/ Baliguda: As many as 74 girls of a tribal high school in Rutungia panchayat under Baliguda block in Kandhamal district fled from their hostel over gross mismanagement and absence of basic facilities late Monday night.
The girls took the extreme step after all their pleas before the authorities failed to yield any result. They refused to return to their hostel till their demands were met.
While some of the girls stayed at their friends’ houses, the remaining girls walked all through the night to reach their homes, some even more than 10 km away.
The girls were inmates of a 100-bed hostel run by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA).
It is alleged that the hostel is yet to have drinking water facilities and power connection while substandard food was being served to the inmates.
Headmaster Subhash Chandra Samal said he has urged the higher authorities to install power supply and drinking water facilities, but to no avail.
District social welfare officer Ganeshwar Bharimalla and ITDA officer Ramesh Chandra Behera visited the school Tuesday and reviewed the situation. The duo said soon drinking water facilities will be made available while the other problems will be resolved in phases.
They claimed that 54 out of the 74 girls have returned back to the hostel while efforts are being made to bring back the remaining students. The welfare extension officer and the additional welfare officer are present in the school and are constantly monitoring the situation, the officers said. PNN
