October 1st 2024.
In the village of Kamkeda, under the Nuagaon panchayat of Komna block in Nuapada district, there is an Ashram School that is facing a number of challenges. This government-owned school, managed by the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development Department, has over 300 students from Class I to Class VIII. These students reside in a hostel located half a kilometer away from the school premises. Every day, after their classes, they make the journey to the school for their midday meals and then back to the hostel. However, their struggles do not end there.
You see, these students have to make the same journey again every night, in complete darkness, through a forested road to reach the school for their dinner. The hostel is situated near Chandel hill, which is known to be home to wild animals such as leopards, bears, and poisonous reptiles. The locals fear for the safety of the students as they are exposed to potential dangers while walking through the forest at night. It is a grave concern for everyone in the village.
To make matters worse, the rules state that both lunch and dinner should be cooked in the respective hostels. However, the authorities have been cooking the food on the school premises instead of in the hostels. This means that the students have to walk to the school for their meals, instead of having it brought to them. This is not only inconvenient but also puts their safety at risk.
In the past few days, heavy rainfall due to low pressure has been a constant in the area. Despite this, the students have no other option but to walk through the rain and darkness to reach the school for dinner. This has caused great concern among the students' guardians. They believe that the teachers and education officials are neglecting the safety of the students by not following the rules. The authorities are supposed to cook the midday meal at school and dinner at the hostel, but they have disregarded this, putting the students in danger.
The parents of these students have also raised concerns about the lack of essential items provided to the students. They claim that the hostel authorities have not provided toothbrushes, toothpaste, or other basic hygiene products to the students. They also allege that items such as oil, soap, and detergent powder are not given regularly. According to the rules, these essentials should be delivered to the students every week, but the students have to wait for months to receive them. In addition, the students are not served the meals that are listed on the menu. Instead, they are given rice, dal, dalma, and curry made with potato and soybean chunks.
A month ago, District Welfare Officer Deeptimanta Bhoi had promised to resolve these issues within a week. However, the problems still persist, according to the guardians. When contacted, Welfare Extension Officer Shyamsundar Majhi of Komna block acknowledged the problems faced by the students. He explained that the school and hostels are separate, making it difficult to dispose of waste. However, they are now arranging for two trolleys to transport dinner to the hostel at night and are also providing dustbins for garbage disposal and cleaning of the students' plates.
In conclusion, the students of this Ashram School in Nuapada district are facing multiple challenges. Their safety is compromised as they have to walk through a forest at night to reach their school for dinner. The rules are not being followed, and the students are not receiving essential items regularly. It is the responsibility of the authorities to take immediate action and ensure the safety and well-being of these students.
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