Kendriya Vidyalayas face land hurdles in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Odisha government is pressing hard on the transformation of state-run schools, some educational institutions managed by the Centre are struggling for land and logistics in the state.

Sources said three Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) are running in temporary accommodation due to land hurdles while one is yet to be made functional due to lack of mandatory support from the state government as required as per the norms of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).

The KVS, an autonomous body funded by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, is managing a chain of 1,252 Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country and abroad. There are 66 KVS in Odisha.

Though as per the terms and conditions agreed at the time of opening of KVs under civil sector, the state government being the sponsoring authority is required to provide suitable and adequate land as per KVS land norms free of cost, the land provisions are yet to be made for four such schools.

While the KVs at Murgabadi in Mayurbhanj, Cuttack (KV No.2) and Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district functional since 2010-11 are running in temporary accommodation, the one at Champua in Keonjhar announced since 2016-17 is yet to function.

KVS sources said a patch of land measuring eight-acre for the Murgabadi school was committed by the district administration of Mayurbhanj in 2011, but it is yet to be transferred. Similarly, an eight-acre land parcel identified by the Cuttack administration in 2016 has not been handed over yet.

In the case of Bhanjanagar, the land measuring 8.87-acre is embroiled in litigation as a part of it is forest land. The land cannot be transferred unless it is converted and the conversion of forest land is a cumbersome process.

The proposed KV at Champua is facing a peculiar phenomenon. Though the identified land of eight-acre was found suitable by the administration and inspection team in 2016, the state government after verification of land records now found the entire patch is forest land.

“The state government has not informed the KV about the step taken for identification of another patch of land for Champua KV,” the sources said. Champua was among the two KVs sanctioned in 2016-17 for Keonjhar. Another KV at Anandpur is expected to function soon. Though the KVS has taken up the matter at various levels with the state authorities several times, no progress has been made in transferring the land.

Meanwhile, Union Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy Sanjay Kumar has urged chief secretary PK Jena to look into the matter personally and direct the authorities concerned for transfer of land within six months for these KVs so that proper infrastructure can be developed.