The high school at Badbanki village, Turekela block in Balangir, which has closed down after Maoists issued a threat through a poster. Telegraph picture

Balangir, Sept. 17: A Maoist poster pasted at a high school at Badbanki village, Turekela block in Balangir, has caused panic and led to the school’s closure.

The institution has remained closed for the past 12 days, as teachers, parents and officials did not dare to open the school, for fear that the Moaists would attack. The rebels had earlier set ablaze a few kendu leaf godowns.

The poster pasted on the school’s closed gate issued threats to the headmistress and some officials. It said that the headmistress, the block resource coordinator and cluster resource co-ordinator would be awarded death sentence as they were the “main culprits (responsible) for degradation of the school”. The Maoists also demanded that more teachers be recruited at the school.

The school is an upgraded high school with 422 students. Recently, some teachers were transferred, leaving three in the school. The villagers had reportedly requested the headmistress not to transfer teachers without appointing new ones, but the she did heed their request.

Sarala Minz, the headmistress, said she was afraid of opening the school. “The Maoist poster has demanded posting of teachers in the school. It has also threatened me with a death sentence. How can I open the school? I have informed the authorities about the matter.”

Gupteswar Behera, a parent, said that closure of the school for a prolonged period would affect the studies of the students. “We don’t know what the Maoists have written in the poster, but if the school continues to remain closed, the students will suffer. This is a government institution and the government must take steps to open the school,” he said.

Kabindra Sahu, district project coordinator of the Sarva Sikshya Abhiyaan, Balangir, admitted that the school had been closed because of the Maoist threat. “I have been told that the school has been closed for more than 10 days. We are taking steps to open the school. We have informed the police about the matter and they will take care of the law and order situation in the area,” Sahu said.

Inspector in charge of Turekela police station Satya Narayan Behera said the villagers were not cooperating with the police investigation. “We are investigating into the matter. Unfortunately, the villagers are not co-operating with us. Whenever we ask them about the Maoists, they just refuse to speak,” he said.