Odisha school violates State Government norms, operates sans NOC

Child Welfare Committee chairman Pratap Acharya visited the school and found out gross mismanagement in running the school, children were forced to live under unhygienic conditions.
For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)
For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)

DHENKANAL: The Laxminarayan Gurukul Ashram in Dhenkanal district, where a Class III student was found dead on July 2, was operating despite a closure notice by the School and Mass Education (SME) department five months back. Neither did the residential school in Iranga village under Kamakshyanagar block have a no objection certificate nor was it registered under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

Collector Nikhil Pavan Kalyan on Friday ordered for closure of the school again. The student, Sambhunath Nayak of Keonjhar, died in the school hostel on July 2. Following the incident, block education officers of Dhenkanal, Kamakshyanagar and Kankadahada made a spot inquiry and found several loopholes in the school which had opened in 1993.

The management had allegedly encroached upon forest land to set up the school and it was functioning under Societies Registration Act, 1860. Though having hostels, it did not have the mandatory registration under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. It was functioning with more than 60 students without a NOC from SME department. The ashram management had received temporary recognition from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012 to run the school but no application was submitted for permanent recognition.

The District Education Officer (DEO), Sudhananda Parida, had issued a closure notice five months back and warned that the school will be closed for violating guidelines. The DEO said the SME department had lodged a complaint in the local police station against the management.

District Child Welfare Committee chairman Pratap Chandra Acharya visited the school on Thursday and found out gross mismanagement in running the school, shortage of space in the hostels and children were forced to live under unhygienic condition. He met Collector Kalyan on Friday and urged him to shift the students to schools in their native villages. The Collector subsequently directed the DEO for the immediate closure of the school.

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