.........SAMBALPUR: The fast-unto-death agitation launched yesterday by the villagers of Bhartapur gram panchayat under Rairakhol sub-division in front of the District Collectorate was called off today after District Project Co-ordinator Premanidhi Seth and CI of Schools, Sangram Sahu gave written assurance to post teachers in Bhartapur Upgraded High School.


Reports said, the villagers decided to launch an hunger strike when no steps were taken to appoint a teacher as promised by Sambalpur District Collector H K Dash last month.

As per the assurance, while one teacher would be appointed immediately and take classes for three days in a week, a regular full-time teacher will be posted in the school from September 20.

Even though the school was upgraded in 2008, it has been operating without a teacher.

For the students, who had enrolled in Class VIII in 2008, the High School Certificate Examination scheduled for February 2011 staring in the face, the villagers had to resort to this means when repeated pleas and requests fell on deaf ears.

Villagers said that they had met the Sambalpur District Collector, the District Project Co-ordinator, SSA, and the Rairakhol Sub-Collector as early as July 24 and had submitted a memorandum over the issue prior to August 7 dharna. But with no result forthcoming except assurances, they were forced to launch fast-unto-death agitation which finally paid dividends.