Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared on Friday that 100 additional hostels for SC and ST students would be built in the state by the end of 2023. The Chief Minister made this declaration during the ‘Sargiful’ festival’s closing session. A total of 1,200 students from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes attended the event.
Up to 170 teachers who provided instruction to ST and SC pupils were present during the festival. Five thousand SC/ST children are now housed in the state’s various government hostels, Patnaik noted, adding that another 100 of these facilities will be built to accommodate more pupils. He expressed his congratulations to the students and teachers who had passed the matriculation test.
“Go ahead with a competitive attitude and gain a reputation in life. You strive for success, my blessings are with you,” CM Patnaik told the students.
The CM cited the case of well-known athlete Dilip Tirkey, an Odia man who, through skill and diligence, rose to the position of president of Hockey India before becoming the captain of the Indian hockey team.
The Chief Minister referred to Dilip Tirkey as a role model for young people. A poster book on holistic education was also digitally introduced by CM Patnaik, along with a souvenir called ‘Sargiful’.
The minister for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, Jagannath Saraka, highlighted a number of efforts made by his office on behalf of the tribal children. The ‘Sargiful’ festival has been celebrated for the past 12 years.
(With inputs from PTI)
