No Information On Dilapidated Schools: Odisha Govt

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has no information on the exact number of schools in the dilapidated condition or the number of classrooms in bad shape in the state.

School and Mass Education minister Debi Prasad Mishra said the state government does not have the data about the schools, which are in dilapidated condition.

In the recently concluded Assembly session, the Minister, however, admitted that classrooms in five schools in Bhubaneswar are in poor condition.

The statement causes concern in the wake of the recent incident of a wall collapse at a school in Sakhigopal in Pun district where a girl student died and many others sustained injuries. The incident had created shock waves in the state.

According to statistics, there are 8326 government and government-aided high schools, 34,999 primary schools and 20,198 upper primary schools in the state. There are 1,345 high schools, 1,743 primary schools, and 2,604 upper primary schools run privately.

41,688 primary and upper primary schools do not have rooms for all classes, while 373 high schools do not have the classroom. Besides, 122 high schools have a single room for two classes.

Meanwhile, the minister, who could not provide precise data on the number classrooms in poor condition, has said the district education officers (DEOs) have been directed to ensure the safety of the schools.

The minister also assured the members that a process has been initiated to demolish classrooms of five schools which are in a dilapidated condition.