laxminarayan Vidyapeetha was established in the year 1957. Just a decade after the country achieved its independence. Kasarda, a village under the Niali area, was an ideal ground for the freedom fighters of the undivided Cuttack district during the British India.
Noted freedom fighter late Krushna Chandra Mohapatra of the village vowed to set up a high school as an extended version of an ME school which he had had already set up in 1944. Traditionally clad in ‘Khadara dhoti’ with a napkin round his shoulders, he traveled barefoot seeking help to establish the institution. Deeply influenced by Gandhiji and Gopabandhu Das, his strength was holiness of heart and affection.
People of the area and more especially, the Zamindars of Kasarda, were so much influenced by Mohapatra’s personality that they unhesitatingly opened their prodigal purse for such a noble cause. Soon the school came into being.
The six decades old school will hold its golden jubilee on May 2-3. The school has produced many wonder kids who have occupied distinctly enviable position in the hierarchy of administration, education, culture, science and technology, medical and engineering sectors of the State and the nation.
Even a large number of students of the institution have gone abroad and made their marks in the USA, Canada, Singapore, Moscow and in many other countries. Some of the students achieved excellence in the field of medical education and have distinguished themselves as professors in medical colleges. Prof Dr Bijayeeni Mohapatra and Prof Dr Pramod Mallick are known figures in medical profession in the State.
Prof Dr Sunil Sarangi, who was a distinguished professor in IIT, Kharagpur and who now heads the NIIT, Rourkela as its director, had his education from this ME school. Prof Dr Susil Kumar Mohapatra is now a professor of reproductive zoology in Canada. Similarly in the administrative sector, Surendra Khuntia has retired as a senior officer while Pradeep Kumar Mohapatra is presently placed in the CM’s secretariat as the Additional Secretary.
Hundreds of officers, doctors, engineers and technocrats are from this institution. Former Finance Minister Panchanan Kanungo, noted social worker Hansnath Sahoo and Niali MlA Dr Pramod Mallick are products of the institution. These are but a few names while the list would be too long if all the distinguished products of the schools are enlisted.
Similarly, a galaxy of teachers needs to be mentioned here, who have had their immense contributions towards making up of the institution. Noted among them are teachers like late Netrananda Nanda, late Markendeya Satpathy, Dinabandhu Satpathy, Trilochan Rath, Banambar Jena, Sarat Kumar Swain, Ramachandra Nishanka, Rajat Kumar Mohanty and others whose inimitable styles of teaching are still imprinted in mind. It is a matter of regret that these teachers were ignored and never considered for the Governor’s Award.