Bhubaneswar, Jan. 23: Students have objected to the use of loud speakers with dubbed songs on aspiring political candidates which went on for several weeks during the campaign session for the civic polls here.

Following several complaints from students, teachers and parents, the school and mass education department has urged the state election commission to ensure that these are not repeated during the upcoming Assembly elections.

In a letter to the state election commission, the department has sought a restriction on sound pollution on school premises by political parties during school hours.

Sources in the department said that more than 100 complaints poured in through the students’ helpline, which was set up by the department for grievance redressal, with complaints against the loud speakers used by political parties during campaigning for the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation polls.

The loud noise badly affects the academic environment, resulting in problems in proper functioning of the classes, said an official.

Stating that this was likely to be repeated in the upcoming Assembly elections, the department requested that suitable instructions should be issued to political parties not to make sound pollution near the schools during the school hours.

“The political parties can go for campaign in those areas after the school hours,” said school and mass education secretary Usha Padhi in her letter.

“Too much of noise leads to stress. Students find it difficult to concentrate. Students of Class X, who have their exams on anvil, suffered the most as they had their special classes during that time. Something must be done to stop this,” said Swarnalata Samal, a teacher at Capital High School.