Odisha govt sanctions Rs 2.49 crore for rebuilding Bahanaga High School – Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Thursday sanctioned Rs 2.49 crore for rebuilding Bahanaga High School, which was converted into a temporary morgue after the June 2 train tragedy. A portion of the school has been razed recently.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has given approval for the sanction of funds for the school’s development. Official sources said this fund has been sanctioned from Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Odisha.
On June 9, the government authorities demolished a portion of the high school that was used as a temporary mortuary to keep around 250 bodies of the June 2 three-train crash victims, before they were shifted to different morgues following appeals from spooked kids, teachers and local residents.
Earlier, Naveen had asked Balasore district collector to submit a detailed project on construction of a new school building as a model school under the 5T initiative of the government. A team of senior officers, including the chief secretary had interacted with parents, teachers and students at the school and asked their opinion about the school building.
Limbless and headless bodies recovered from the mangled coaches of the two passenger trains immediately after the train accident were kept in the six classrooms and a dining hall of the school located 500 meters away from the accident site. Many students and teachers were reluctant to come to school, forcing the district administration to demolish the portion and construct a new one.
The school opened on Wednesday after the summer vacation was over. Many parents came to drop their children off at school unlike earlier when kids used to come alone. A yagna was performed before the classes started for the peace of mind of students. Of the total 556 students studying in Class I to X, only 112 students were present on the first day, said the sources.