The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has issued a notice to the District Magistrate of Bhadrak in a case involving deprivation of rights to disabled Minati Panda.
Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy had filed a petition before the apex child rights panel for immediate action to ensure the poor handicap girl child enjoys her entitlements under various schemes.
Sources said a student of Class-IX in the Aishanya Chandi High School, meritorious Panda was not granted free education, despite being a handicap and a girl from a BPl family, whose father too is a disabled.
As per the certificate issued to her by the district medical board, Panda’s disability is permanent and is 80 per cent.
She is very much eligible to avail handicap pension and other welfare measures meant for the spastic children both by the Central and State Governments.
However, due to apathy by the officials, her family was not provided with a house under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY).
Therefore, the entire family members are living in pathetic condition with much pain and suffering. She was not provided with a cycle meant for the school girls under the scheme of the State Government. She was made an object of ridicule as people called her as “Jadi” meaning “dumb”, Tripathy had pointed out and requested the commission to investigate the case and ask the State Government for ensuring her waiver of school fees immediately and provide her all the benefits under various schemes.