JAGATSINGHPUR: Summer vacations are going to end next week but Government-run schools damaged by the tropical cyclone Fani in Jagatsinghpur have not been repaired yet. Students of many villages under Raghunathpur and Biridi blocks will thus have to attend classes in other schools as the session starts from June 19.According to reports, 757 schools including 165 high schools in the district suffered extensive damage in the cyclone. Around 27 of them are in Raghunathpur and Biridi blocks.
The building of Viswanath High School under Bansandhara panchayat in Biridi block which has 225 students was completely damaged in Fani. Sarpanch of Bansandhara panchayat, Laxmidhar Bhoi said five schools in the panchayat - Bambilo primary school, Gopaljew UP school, Bansandhara UP school, Divya Madhu UP school, Jayantiram high school - suffered massive damage in the cyclonic storm.
While roofs were blown away, walls of several caved in when heavy rains lashed the district. “Survey of infrastructure damage in these schools has not been done even after 40 days of Fani. There is no funds allocation for repair and reconstruction work and most of the schools are not in a condition to hold classes”, Bhoi said.
In a belated move, the block administration conducted a review meeting with officials of School and Mass Education, Works and Rural Development departments on Wednesday to assess the situation in Biridi block.
Block Development Officer of Biridi, Girija Prasad Barik asked engineers of Rural Development and Works departments to complete fresh survey of damaged schools by Friday and begin repair and reconstruction works immediately. While repair works would be completed before June 19, reconstruction in severely damaged schools will take time. District Project Coordinator of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Sapan Kumar Jena said students of schools which cannot be repaired or reconstructed before June 19 will have to attend classes in government schools in nearby locations.
DELAYED MOVE
Fresh survey of damaged schools to be completed by Friday
Repair works to start by Saturday and completed before June 19
757 schools throughout the district including 165 high schools suffered damage in the cyclonic storm and 27 of them were severely damaged in Raghunathpur and Biridi blocks