Kakatpur: At least 40 students of Padhiary Vidyapeeth, Edabansha under Talada panchayat had to cross the Devi river on a rickety boat Friday to appear for the High School Certificate (HSC) examinations at a centre at Sundar village under Astarang block. Moreover, safety gears and life jackets were not provided to the examinees, sources said.
“Initially, we had planned to arrange temporary boarding facility for our students at Sundar village. But, some parents rejected the proposal. Now, we have no other option but to ferry the students on boat,” said Padhiary Vidyapeeth headmaster Sarat Kumar Parida.
It is learnt that Edabansha villagers had urged the School and Mass Education department to declare Padhiary Vidyapeeth as an examination centre. However, the plea was ignored.
“The Class X students of Padhiary Vidyapeeth have to cross the river on boats to reach the examination centre. The Fire Services department officials usually come to our village and provide safety gears to the students. This year, they did not make any safety arrangement for students,” claimed a villager.
According to the villagers, the state government had started construction of a bridge over Devi river in 2014 to ensure road communication between Edabansha and Astarang. However, the project is yet to be completed.
“We are afraid to cross the river on a boat twice a day. It would be easy for us if our school is declared as an examination centre,” said Rupali Parida, an HSC examinee of Padhiary Vidyapeeth.
When contacted, Astarang tehsildar Ashok Swain, police in-charge Bulu Munda and fire brigade official Kalpataru Nayak feigned ignorance of the incident. “Neither the S&ME department nor the school authorities informed us to make necessary arrangements for the students,” they said.
PNN