On Monday, November 23, the Odisha government informed the state Assembly that the primary and upper primary schools having less than 15 students, and not 20 as decided earlier, will be identified for closure or merger in scheduled areas and also in the backward Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput (KBK) region.

Thus, the norms fixed for closure or merger of schools in scheduled areas will also be applicable for such institutes located in the KBK region, school and mass education minister S R Dash said.

The government had earlier decided to close or merge schools having less than 20 students there and the notification issued in this regard will soon be revised, he said.

The opposition parties have said that the government has changed norms to close down schools in scheduled and non- scheduled areas, but it has not taken the backward KBK region into consideration.

Clarifying the government’s stance, the minister said that the state government has changed the norms for closing down schools in view of the concerns expressed by members of opposition parties.

Leader of Opposition P K Naik of the BJP and Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra, had raised the issue in the House.

The KBK region now has eight districts – Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Balangir, Subarnapur, Kalahandi and Nuapada.

Source: PTI

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