Scores of villagers along with students blocked a stretch of road on Baghmari Contilo State highway on Sunday morning to protest against shifting of a Government primary school in Adipada village
under Rakma gram pachayat of Bhapur block in Nayagarh district.
The villagers laid siege to the road as the administration did not pay heed to repeated requests by the locals to refrain from the move. The school was merged with another school in the neighbouring village due to less student strength.
The aggrieved villagers alleged that due to the heavy traffic on the road, it is difficult for the children to go to school in the nearby village. Parents are reluctant to send their children to the school, which is 1 km from their village. The parents do not feel it safe for their children to go to school by traversing on the busy highway.
Local Tehsildar Santhi Mohanty and Bhapur BEO Jayanthi Sahu along with local police rushed to the spot to convince the agitators. Bhapur BEO, local Sarpanch, Samiti member, Nayagarh DIO later met the district Collector over the issue.