Koraput: At a time when the state government is spending crores of rupees to improve education, particularly in areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, the lack of drinking water and sanitation facilities, shortage of teachers and low student enrolment in Sevashrams have undermined the objective.
According to reports, Tota ambaguda Sevashram under Mastiput panchayat of Koraput block provides education to students from (kindergarten) KG to Class V. However, the school built in 1986 under the ST & SC Welfare department lacks basic facilities.
As a result, only 15 students are currently enrolled in the school, out of which four are in KG, two in Class I, three in Class II, five in Class III and a lone student in Class V. The students are taught by the headmistress and a guest teacher.
Construction of a 100-bed hostel was completed about five years ago but is yet to become operational. The school’s piped drinking water project has remained defunct for a long time, affecting sanitation facilities. The toilets have also remained locked for years.
“The Sevashram is surrounded by hills and forests and has no boundary wall, raising concerns about the entry of wild animals,” said Kamalu Muduli, parent of a student. Of the six newly constructed classrooms, three remain locked because of low enrolment.
The department has also not demolished the old, dilapidated school building, which parents say poses a safety risk to children. Parents have expressed resentment over the nonfunctional hostel.
They say the poor facilities have discouraged them from keeping their children at the Sevashram, forcing them to send them to other schools in nearby areas.
Sevashram HM Namita Mallik said the school had 45 students five years ago, but the number fell to just seven in 2025. Efforts by her and guest teachers helped raise enrollment to 15 this year, she added.
Mallik said efforts are underway to enrol more students from outside the area because of the low enrollment.
She also said the department had been informed about the need to construct a boundary wall around the Sevashram and demolish an old building on the school premises.
Acknowledging the problems, School Management Committee president Nilambar Muduli said the Sevashram had not received any government funds for its development in the past five years.
He urged the administration to take immediate steps to address the issues.
District Welfare Officer Sunil Kumar Tandi said various measures have been taken to increase enrolment.
He said the girls’ hostel would be made operational by the end of September
