Amidst the rising temperatures in Odisha, news has surfaced that more than 200 tribal girls have been crammed into the 100-seat hostel of Swayambha residential school in Sundargarh's Koida block due to the delay in construction of a new hostel, work on which has been going on for the last seven years, as mentioned in the report by The New Indian Express.
Ailing students
The inordinate delay in the construction of the new hostel came to light after 34 students of Swayambha residential school under the ST & SC Development Department were taken ill due to dehydration and food poisoning in the last two days.
Overcrowding of the hostel is being blamed for the incident. In this sweltering heat, the existing single-storey hostel is housing 240 students. Those who fell sick were compelled to stay in the dining hall in absence of space.
No utilisation of funds?
Sources said realising the urgent need for another hostel in the remote pocket, the Sundargarh administration in 2016 had sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) for a new 200-seat hostel. Subsequently, the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) of Bonai issued a work order to a local contractor. The new hostel should ideally have been completed in a maximum of six months. However, its construction is still underway.
Initiation of action
On Friday, Sundargarh collector Parag Harshad Gavali summoned the newly-appointed project administrator of Bonai ITDA, Biswadarshi Sahu, to understand the status of the under-construction hostel building. The collector reportedly instructed the ITDA to complete the new hostel project immediately and take action against the errant contractor.
Sahu said, a notice has been issued to the contractor to appear for final measurement on April 26 and action will be taken as per the contract guidelines.
By the first week of May, the fresh tender will be invited for the completion of the remaining work. He informed that civil construction is almost complete while installations of electrical and water supply fittings remaining.
Narrating their ordeal, some students and lady workers of the hostel said their suffering worsens in the sweltering conditions during summer as the walls and low concrete ceiling incessantly transmit heat both in the day and night, as stated in the report.
