Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kendrapara

Kendrapara, June 7: The district administration has finally decided to allot land to set up a permanent building for Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kendrapara.

The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, the apex body of the central schools, had earlier threatened to stop fresh admissions as the district administration had been dilly-dallying in allotting a plot to the new school building.

“Allotment of land to the Kendriya Vidyalaya was delayed because of factors beyond our control. But now, the revenue divisional commission (central) has approved the land allotment. A five-acre plot was allotted to the institution on Monday against payment of rent by the school authorities,” said Jyoti Shankar Mohapatra, tehsildar, Kendrapara.

It has now been almost two years since the school started operating from a temporary accommodation. The school authorities had made several requests for land to be allotted for the school’s permanent campus.

Things are no better in neighbouring Jagatsinghpur district. The Kendriya Vidyalaya sanctioned for the district is yet to begin functioning. The authorities concerned have failed to allot land from where the school might run.

Official sources said three other Kendriya Vidyalayas in Bhadrak, Nuapada and Nayagarh faced the same fate.

The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan has shot off strongly worded letters to all the district administrations concerned. In February, the commissioner of the schools’ apex body had warned that fresh admissions would be stopped if the required land was not allotted as soon as possible.

The Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kendrapara had opened in August 2010.

“The district administration had given an undertaking to provide a temporary accommodation first and then to allot about 15 acres of government land free of cost for the permanent building of the school. But the authorities dilly-dallied in allotting the plot. The poor infrastructure at the temporary location of the school was hampering the school’s functioning. We are happy to learn that land will be allotted to us in a day or two,” said Bijoy Kumar Parida, principal of the Kendrapara Kendriya Vidyalaya.

“The administration was not dilly-dallying over the matter. A suitable plot had been earmarked for the central school at Barimula on the township’s outskirts. The proposal for transfer of the said plot had been sent to the revenue divisional commissioner for approval. The approval was delayed because of some technicalities. The administration has handed over the plot,” said Pradipta Kishore Pattnaik, Kendrapara collector.