Joda: A residential bridge course in Kendujhar district, aimed at bringing school dropouts back into the education system, is facing a severe financial crisis, raising concerns over the future of more than 100 students enrolled under the programme.
The residential facility in Jo da block has been struggling to meet even the cost of food for students staying in its hostels.
The programme is currently surviving with support from voluntary organisations and local donors, but those associated with the initiative warn that the students’ education could once again be disrupted if funding is not restored.
The bridge course was launched in 2015 by the NGO Aspire in collaboration with the Child Rights Protection Forum, Joda, to rehabilitate children aged five to 18 who had dropped out of school due to financial hardship across the block’s 19 gram panchayats.
At present, 60 girls and 45 boys are staying in two hostels at West Joda while continuing their studies. Under an agreement signed in 2015, Tata Steel had committed to bearing the students’ expenses, including accommodation, food, clothing and other necessities, for a 10-year period ending in 2025.
The company had been extending financial support in accordance with the agreement.
However, after the agreement expired in 2025, Tata Steel stopped funding hostel food expenses about two months ago, Child Rights Protection Forum president Niranjan Bahidar said.
He appealed for immediate financial assistance to ensure the continuity of the residential bridge course and prevent vulnerable children from dropping out of school again.
The organisation currently managing the residential bridge course has expressed concern over its financial sustainability, saying the programme is struggling to meet recurring expenses.
According to Bahidar, the monthly food expenditure alone ranges between Rs 1,10,000 and Rs 1,50,000.
The programme was able to continue in June with financial assistance from a truck owners’ association in Joda, but securing funds for the coming months remains uncertain.
The organisation is making every effort to keep the programme running and has raised the issue during the District Collector’s public grievance hearing.
It has also informed Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, seeking government intervention to ensure the continuation of the programme.
