Sonepur: The much-awaited Sonepur Kendriya Vidyalaya’s own campus to be built at a cost of Rs15.81 crore is hanging fire. Despite having funds, the school’s campus is lying half-constructed, causing dissatisfaction among residents.
The HRD ministry sanctioned a KV in Subarnapur district in 2010. Five years later, the district administration transferred 10 acres near Pinisiali area under Sonepur block to the institution in 2015. Then another problem cropped up. The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan termed the land as unfit from students’ safety point of view as a high-tension wire was passing over the land.
It took some time to shift the electric poles and lay a road to the land. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the school’s new campus from Bolangir through remote control October 15, 2018.
The cost of the project was estimated at Rs15.81 crore. At that time, the HRD ministry had announced that the school’s building, boundary wall, playground and eight quarters for teachers and staff would be ready by December 2019.
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) floated a tender and VJ Engineers was awarded the tender and subsequently an agreement was signed.
However, the contractor stopped the construction work September 2019 as the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan stopped providing the grant. This irked the people. Resentment started brewing among them. Hence, Bolangir MP Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo raised the issue in Lok Sabha. She requested the HRD Minister to release funds for the completion of the campus. Following this, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan gave Rs1 crore and Rs5 crore to CPWD Match 3 and 22 respectively.
Despite having the required money, the construction work has been delayed citing Covid-19 as the reason.
Till now only 30 per cent of the school’s building has been completed. Similarly, the construction of the boundary wall has also not been completed.
The school has been running temporarily from the district resource centre. Class XI and XII students have been added since 2019. But, lack of classrooms has been affecting the learning process.
PNN