Nuapada: Although the 53 school buildings lying unused across the district for months since the district administration put them under lock and key for poor attendance can be converted into community and Anganwadi centers, authorities are spending lakhs of rupees to construct buildings for Anganwadi and community centers here, locals alleged.
Some time back, the state government had asked the district administration to identify schools having less than 10 students and shut them down. In fact, the performance of some schools in the district was not satisfactory and the expenditure incurred on them was much more compared to the number of students enrolled by them.
The district administration identified 38 such schools in 2016-17 and 15 more in the current year. Subsequently, these schools were closed down. The teachers and the students of these schools were accommodated in nearby schools.
At some places these vacant buildings have turned into hunted places, while at other places they are used as cow sheds. Stray dogs also use these buildings as their kennels during day time, while anti-social elements too make use of these buildings as their dens.
As these buildings are unattended, in many places miscreants have taken away the doors and windows, locals alleged.
On the other hand, there are many villages without any Anganwadi or community center. Despite this, the government is spending lakhs of rupees in constructing buildings for such purposes even in villages where the erstwhile school buildings are lying vacant.
If the vacant school buildings are turned into community and Anganwadi centers, lakhs of government money can be saved, locals observed, adding villages that still do not have a recreation building for holding meetings or social functions can be benefitted if the unattended school buildings are handed over to them.
When enquired, it has come to fore that the respective panchayats have been entrusted with taking care of the closed schools. However, the panchayats have done little to utilise the buildings properly.
As a result, locals demanded that the administration should come forward and take necessary steps to ensure that these buildings are put to better use before their remaining doors, windows and bricks are stolen.
PNN
