The Legislative Committee on Women and Child Safety visited a few girls’ hostels in Bidar on Tuesday and interacted with the students there.
Headed by MLC V.S. Ugrappa, committee members interacted with students and heard their grievances, apart from visiting three government hostels. The land for one of the hostels has been donated by the Allama Iqbal Education Trust.
Mr. Ugrappa took officials to task for failing to provide adequate facilities to the inmates of the government hospitals. “They don’t have enough study desks or beds. There are neither any facilities to wash clothes nor a line to even out them out for drying,” he said.
He was upset when the inmates complained of lack of proper food. The young girls were not getting roti or chapatti, the sambar doesn’t have vegetables. “We found that the officials were not following the food chart and time table. There are no libraries. This is unacceptable,” he said and added that the hostels may have been “decked up” for the committee’s visit.
The committee members later held reviewed various departments in the zilla panchayat. The officials have been directed to prevent atrocities on women and children, besides identifying government lands and protecting them.
Seeking a report on condition of hostels in the district, Motamma, MLC and committee member, directed the Deputy Commissioner to inspect hostels regularly and improve the amenities, besides initiating action on officials concerned.
HIV
There are 6,112 HIV infected cases in the district, including 191 boys and 163 girls, and around 3,413 are currently under treatment.
Lakshmi Bavuge, activist who was invited to the meeting, countered claims by health officials that HIV infected persons were being given adequate facilities.
District Health Officer Babburao Hudgikar said there were 54 scanning centres in the district, which were being inspected on a quarterly basis. Mr. Ugrappa questioned if the Deputy Commissioner had personally inspected any of these centres.
Committee member K.S. Vimala pointed out that the licences of 12 scanning centres had expired, a few four years ago. She also pointed that some permits issued to a few doctors, who were not duly qualified.
Mr Ugrappa said abortions and abandonment of baby girls after delivery were some of the reasons for Bidar having a lower sex ratio of 956. This was a “dangerous trend,” he said and added that pre-natal sex determination should be closely monitored.
He also objected to officials not utilising 13 per cent of Rs. 20 crore funds under the National Rural Health Mission.
Activists who were present alleged that doctors and nurses took bribes during delivery. While nurses collect Rs. 300 for baby girls and Rs. 500 for baby boys, doctors collected Rs. 3,000 for girls and Rs. 5,000 for boys, they charged.
Mr. Ugrappa directed Pavan Kumar Malpati to take strict action against doctors and nurses involved in such irregularities.
