Odisha Human Rights Commission on Thursday directed the State government to inform the commission about infrastructural shortcomings that are hampering working of residential schools for tribals and dalits and time-bound action plan for their rectification.
Taking exception to chronic mismanagement afflicting the functioning of residential schools, the Commission asked Secretary of State ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department to make a detail presentation about residential schools in May first week.
Human rights activists Biswapriya Kanungo and Bijay Kumar Panda had moved OHRC seeking its intervention in smooth operation of hostels under ST and SC Development Department.
In response to the petition, the department had submitted that Standard Operating Procedure and guidelines for hostel management and safety and security of students had been issued.
“To keep pace with the increasing enrolment of ST and SC students in various residential schools, the State government has taken up an ambitious step for construction of 2200 new hostels. Of which 1100 will be completed in 2016,” it pointed out.
“Detail guidelines for regular monitoring of schools and hostels have been issued by the State government from time to time. State government attaches utmost importance for ensuring health and safety of students in residential schools. Besides, to undertake regular health check up, ANMs have been posted to a cluster of five to six schools. District collectors have been authorised to deploy 3000 matrons for girls’ hostel,” mentioned the department in its reply.
Mr. Kanungo said the Commission had given specific direction to strengthen the administration and supervision of the school by creating suitable institutional arrangement and identification of infrastructural deficiencies in hostel and their rectification.
“But it seemed the State government issued guidelines without making proper assessment in ground level. When we highlighted the issue before commission, the government was directed to come up with action plan,” the activist said.
Mr. Panda said despite issuance of different guidelines, inmates of residential schools continued to live dangerously. “Students go to nearby sanctuary area as there is no toilets in a residential school in Banki in Cuttack district. In Nayagarh, incident of food infection was also reported,” he said.