Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has expressed serious concern over the condition of a British-era building in Mission Road, Cuttack, which currently houses St. Xavier’s School since January this year.A division bench of Justices KR Mohapatra and V. Narasimha took up the issue after examining a report submitted by the Cuttack district administration on April 16 following earlier directions to inspect the safety conditions of all schools in the city.“The report reveals a shocking situation,” the bench said. Considering that till now 48 schools have been inspected. This especially marked the position of St. Xavier School at Mission Road, Buxi Bazaar said the institution was functioning in an “almost dilapidated building” without a structural stability report.The court recorded the assurance of Additional District Magistrate Kamaljeet Dash that necessary steps would be taken to ensure the safety of students, teaching and non-teaching staff. “If necessary, alternative arrangements will be made in consultation with the school management,” the ADM assured. Taking note of this, the bench directed the authorities to submit the action taken report by May 4. The next hearing of the case will be on May 7.The building, a 143-year-old structure and an example of Indo-European architecture, has been a subject of concern for a long time. Built as a residence by Civil Surgeon Dr. WD Stewart in 1883, the building was later donated to the Baptist Mission in 1887 for educational purposes and became Christ Collegiate School in 1950.Official records show that as early as 20 February 2016, the Public Works Department warned that the structure was in a dangerously dilapidated condition and could collapse at any time. The school was later shifted to a nearby facility in 2019.Despite this, the building was reopened after reported repairs and St. Xavier’s School started functioning there from January 23, 2026.The issue of conservation versus security has also been in focus. In 2019, a PIL filed by lawyer Shivshankar Mohanty sought to declare the structure a heritage building under the Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, citing its architectural and historical importance. The High Court had then directed the civic body to take action on the petition.