Kutra: Four years back the construction of a building for Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya (OAV) was started at Budakata under this block of Sundargarh district. However, it is yet to be completed. Meanwhile, the authorities have started operations of the OAV with 164 students. However, the students are suffering and their studies are being hampered due to lack of classrooms.
Last year two rooms at the nearby Kutra High School were used to host the OAV students. This year two more rooms have been added. However, even then problems continue to plague the students. They have to sit on the floor due to the lack of benches and desks. The absence of a proper school building is seriously hindering the activities of the OAV students. The teachers, local residents, and guardians of the students have lodged repeated complaints in this regard but their pleas are yet to be addressed. The students have been provided with two buses to reach school with each vehicle having a capacity of 65. It means the remaining 34 students have to reach Kutra HS on their own. It is a difficult proposition for them. Sources said that construction of the building was taken up after the district mineral foundation (DMF) sanctioned Rs 3,53,52,000 in FY 2018-19.
Later, the Rural Works division engaged a contractor and the construction of the building started. However, controversy has engulfed the construction work. Locals alleged that the contractor is using sub-standard iron rods and cement in construction, which in the future may hamper the safety of the students. The contractor meanwhile said that he has stopped work as his bills are not being cleared on a regular basis.
However, Sanatan Tudu, an engineer of the Rural Works division refuted the allegation stating that all bills submitted by the contractor have been cleared. Tudu in fact, misbehaved with this correspondent when asked to comment on the issue. SDO Mahendra Kalet also towed the same line and rejected the charges made by the contractor.
