Berhampur (Odisha), Dec 12 (PTI) Arpita Rani Padhy, a Class 10 student of Brundaban Government High School, Hinjili in Ganjam district, was never expecting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to be seated with pupils in a smart classroom and interact with them like a classmate on Sunday.

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During his one-day visit to Ganjam to distribute the smart health cards under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), the chief minister visited the school at Hinjili, his assembly constituency, to inspect the transformation that took place under the 5T initiative of the government and spend time with the students.

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“We are really happy when the chief minister sat with us and enquired about how we felt after the transformation of the 80-year old school under the 5T initiative,” said Arpita.

The school is one of the transformed high schools that the chief minister had earlier inaugurated during the first phase of the ambitious High School Transformation programme.

“Initially we felt nervous when the chief minister entered the classroom. We thought he would sit on the teacher's chair and ask questions. But we were very surprised when he sat on the bench meant for students” said Jasawant Jani, another student.

As many as 18 students were in the classroom at that time.

Like the students, the teachers of the school are also feeling proud.

“We have decided to preserve the bench where the chief minister sat along with the students as a memory of his visit,” said Santilata Rana, headmistress of the school.

Patnaik also inspected the modern laboratory, e-library, and other state-of-the-art facilities which were developed under the school transformation programme.

He also talked with the students who were presented at the e-library.

“We felt very proud as the chief minister sat with us,” said Ankita Panda, a Class 10 student who was at the e-library at that time.

Patnaik also wrote a message in the school visitors' book.

Jani, a student of Class 10, presented a portrait of Patnaik which he gladly accepted.

As many 133 high schools in the district have been transformed in the first phase in August.

In the second phase, the government has decided to develop the infrastructure of another 233 high schools under the initiative.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)