Puri: A girls’ high school in the Holy City here has been running from a rented building for the last 55 years.
According to sources, the district administration had provided a piece of land near Mangalaghat for construction of a permanent building for Badasankha Girls’ High School two years ago. However, no steps were taken to initiate the construction work, sources added.
Since its establishment in 1964, the school has been running from a rented building near Brahmana Boarding Square. At present, the district administration is paying a monthly rent of Rs 12,000 for the school.
In the initial years, the school had five classrooms for students from Class VI to Class X.
However, the school authorities have been facing problems to hold classes after three of their classrooms were declared unsafe a few years ago.
Moreover, the cyclonic storm Fani, that made a landfall on Odisha coast May 3, damaged the asbestos roof of the school building, locals said. “The leakage of rainwater through the damaged roof is causing problems in holding classes,” said a teacher of the school on conditions of anonymity.
It is learnt that the school is yet to have a playground. In the absence of a boundary wall, some anti-social elements have been using the school campus at night, locals alleged.
Apart from this, the school has been running with just five teaching staff against its sanctioned strength of 11 teachers for the last many years. The post of the headmistress is lying vacant now.
“Due to poor infrastructure, parents are reluctant to enroll their children in Badasankha Girls’ High School. At present, the school has only 58 students in five classes,” said a local.
The school authorities claimed that they have urged the district administration and the District Education Officer (DEO) several times to construct a permanent building for the school but to no avail.
“Badasankha Girls’ High School has been a victim of official apathy for last many years,” said youth leader Swadhin Panda.
When contacted, Puri DEO Bishwajit Ghosh said he would soon visit the school and discuss its issues with the School and Mass Education department.
“I have assumed the office recently. I will look into the issues of Badasankha Girls’ High School,” he added.