Koraput: Hundreds of students of a Navodaya Vidyalaya at Landiguda in this district, walking a distance of about six km, Tuesday staged a dharna at the district collectorate here alleging they were being tortured physically and mentally by authorities.
The students claimed to have been targeted by school authorities ever since they objected to substandard quality of food provided to them at the school, according to a memorandum that they submitted to district collector V Jaykumar. The students returned to Landiguda after the collector assured them of appropriate action following a personal visit by him to the school.
The authorities of the school with a strength of over 500 students have allegedly been misappropriating funds meant for rations by dishing out poor quality food to students. Those who protest have been warned of being expelled from the school, they added. The students are being tortured constantly over the issue, the students further said.
Besides, the appointment of contractual teachers in the school has affected the quality of teaching and the students are not being given school uniforms, the memorandum said.
More than 120 students of Classes VIII, IX, X and Plus II took to the street and arrived at the collectorate shouting slogans against the school authorities.
On the other hand, principal Lingaraj Patnaik, refuting the charges, said the students are given proper food and none of them are tortured by the teachers. PNN