By Jayanarayan Menduli, OP
Sundaragada: The century-old PM-Shri Bhawani Shankar Government High School in Sundaragada, one of the district’s oldest educational institutions, is facing a shortage of basic infrastructure and hostel facilities, with boys currently staying in the school’s old classrooms.
Established in 1907 as the district’s first government Middle English school, the institute was later upgraded to a high school. Over the decades, the institution has produced several distinguished alumni, including IAS offi cers Prafulla Kumar Das, Shishir Kumar Naik, Bibhuti Bhushan Das, Ranjan Kumar Naik, Nilamadhab Mohanty and Edwin Kulabhushan Majhi; IRS officer Santosh Amat; IPS offi cer Santosh Upadhyay; former Orissa High Court judge and former chairman of the Odisha Human Rights Commission Justice Bijay Krushna Patel; former Sambalpur University vice-chancellor Dr Dhrubaraj Naik; noted poet Prof Binod Chandra Naik; geologist Dr Ashutosh Naik; international hockey star and former Rajya Sabha member Padma Shri Dr Dilip Tirkey; and Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari.
Following the merger of the nearby Rani Janaki Girls’ High School and Town Government Primary School with the institution, the school now has 805 students from Shishu Vatika to Class X. As many as 38 teachers are engaged in teaching. Despite its long history and reputation, the school has been facing several infrastructure-related problems. It has not had a permanent headmaster since May 31, 2025. Parents have also raised concerns over the lack of adequate drinking water and improved toilet facilities. The absence of a government hostel for boys has emerged as a major concern.
The school had a separate boys’ hostel earlier, but it was closed during 2009- 10 following a decline in the number of students. The building is currently being used as Samagra Shiksha and Rotary Club offices. Although the number of boys seeking admission has increased in subsequent years, a new government hostel has not been constructed. As a result, boys from distant areas are currently staying in old classrooms on the school premises, which have effectively been converted into a hostel.
Around 150 beds provided through the District Mineral Foundation during the tenure of then District Collector Nikhil Pavan Kalyan are being used by the students. The facility is being managed with contributions from the students themselves, in-charge headmistress Anita Das said. She said Sundaragada is a predominantly tribal district and many students from remote areas are interested in studying at the school. However, the absence of a government hostel forces several students to seek admission elsewhere.
The school has also received government sanctions for infrastructure development, including Rs 30 lakh for overall development, Rs 30 lakh for improving IT education and Rs 10 lakh under Panchasakha Shikhya Setu during the past five years. However, the sanctioned funds reportedly remain unspent. Alumni association member Benumadhab Tripathy urged the government to ensure basic facilities and establish a recognised government boys’ hostel to preserve the institution’s legacy. District Education Officer (DEO) Muralidhar Behera said necessary steps would be taken soon. A local parent said a government hostel would enable more students from distant areas to study at the historic institution.
