Jharigaon: The Nabarangpur district administration Friday ordered a high-level probe and suspended the acting headmistress of Santemera Government Upgraded High School, under Jharigaon block, a day after about 140 hostel students walked out of the campus before teachers arrived, alleging poor hostel management.
The students were later traced nearly 10 km from the school by officials. District Collector Maheswar Swain, accompanied by Nabarangpur MLA and District Planning Board Chairman Gouri Shankar Majhi, District Education Officer Chhatrapati Sahu, District Welfare Officer Palaka Rabindra and other senior officials, visited the school to review the situation and interact with hostel students.
The team also inspected the hostel building, classrooms, kitchen, toilets and food storage facilities to assess the condition of the campus. Taking note of the students’ grievances, the Collector directed officials to take corrective measures at the earliest.
Swain said a committee headed by the Sub-Collector would investigate allegations of substandard food, poor hostel facilities and the circumstances that led to the students’ walkout. Appropriate action would be taken against those found responsible after the inquiry report is submitted, he said.
Meanwhile, District Education Officer Chhatrapati Sahu suspended acting headmistress Rajalakshmi Maharana and attached her to the Jharigaon Block Education Office pending departmental proceedings.
