Shift liquor Bhatti operating near Sevashram'
Shift liquor Bhatti operating near Sevashram'
Lokendri Majhi and Hemabati Majhi of Malpada village of Sinapali block are two of the boarders of the girls' hostel of Gorla Sevashram.
They are the students of class VIII. Being tribals they have been admitted to the hostel. "I got the opportunity to read, only because this Sevashram is here," said Lokendri.
Hundreds of students like these two girls feel that the Government residential school is the only option for them to avail education.
Lokendri, Hemabati and a few other students were returning to school after a short vacation. "All is well here except for one thing," said Lokendri and paused, looking towards the elders standing near her. When encouraged to speak, she continued, "The mada bhatti and kothis (liquor distellary and the illegal liquor shops) located adjacent to our school are creating problems."
All the girls and women near her echoed the same concern. "The villagers are demanding shifting of the bhatti since a long time but the Sarkar is not listening," said the women.
"Gorla Sevashram was established in the year 1952. The bhatti came much later and it is astonishing how the administration allowed functioning of the bhatti hardly fifty metres away from school," a teacher of the school rued.
There are two hostels inside the school campus - one for girls with 110 seats and the other for boys (40 seated). There are 54 female and 56 male boarders at present. Total students strength of the school is 242. There is one woman warden to look after the girls.
"Our teachers are very good, but all are male; we need at least one woman teacher," said the girls.
"I had visited the school a few days ago. The school has only five teachers in total, which is three short of required strength according to RTE norm," said secretary of Zilla Adivasi Kalyan Sangha (ZAKS), Nuapada Balkrishna Sabar.
He further explained how the teachers accomodate two classes in one room to manage eight classes with six rooms and five teachers.
"Class I and II with 62 children and class IV and V with 77 children are run in one room each. We have drawn attention of the district administration to address these problems immediately," he added.
About the liquor distellary, Sabar said that the distellary should be shifted. The teachers are very strict; they never allow the children to get out of the school campus to avoid facing the crowds in front of the bhatti and kothis.
Khariar Block prident of ZAKS Kartik Mallik said, "I have heard our tribal daughters complaining of drunkards creating disturbances in front of the kothis and on the road. The second floor of the girls' hostel is clearly visible from the road. The girls are forced to shut down the windows to get rid of the nuisance."
"Shuting down the windows or not allowing students to get out of the campus to avoid the crowd of drunkard is acceptable, when we think of the safety of students especially girls, but how can we confine the learning of our tribal children within the four walls of the class rooms," asked Sabar.
Hundreds of day-scholars come to the school everyday; what about their safety, he questioned. The space of the campus is very limited, the boarders also need some outings to learn about the outer world, he further added and appealed to the administration that the illegal kothi runners must be taken to task.
"We also appeal to the district administration to shift the bhatti to the outskirts," he told.
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