Peeved over delay school children take up road repair work

Kendrapara (Orissa), Jan 25 (PTI) With little actionby the authorities, children of a government-run high schoolof a remote seaside village in Orissa''s Kendrapara districttook it upon themselves to undertake repair work of anill-maintained road.

"About one kilo metre road that led towards UchaveswarHigh School has been in bad shape with authorities havingturned a blind eye. The teachers motivated the children intaking up road repair work", former Sarpanch of Badiha grampanchayat Ahalya Rout said.

"All the school students showed keen interest in roadrepair work with a little prodding from us for communityinterest. A team was formed by picking up children of 8th and9th standards. The 10th standard children were also eager totake part. But they were excluded because of approaching highschool certificate examination," headmaster Pradipta KumarMohanty said.

Children dug out earth from the nearby fields to fillthe potholes covering almost whole length of the road. Somelocal villagers also lent support and "we hope the repair workwould last for at least two to three months", headmasterMohanty narrated.

"We the Ramachandrapur villagers have decided to burydifferences to draw the attention of officials. We wouldshortly sit on dharna in front of the Mahakalpada blockoffice", Sitakanta Behera, a local, said.

The executive engineer, rural development worksdivision, attributed the delay in repair to "factors beyondour control."

"But now the road would be relaid within a month,"Deba Prasad Das, the Executive Engineer, promised.