CS, 8 officials asked to file counter
The shocking incident of a 13-year-old schoolgirl committing suicide in June this year at Aska in Ganjam district, allegedly due to her parent’s inability to purchase a pencil and a notebook, has come under the scrutiny of the State’s High Court here.
Taking note of a PIl filed by a social activist, a Division Bench of the High Court last week issued notices to the State Government asking the Chief Secretary and eight other officials to file counters to the petition.
The Bench of Acting Chief Justice Pradeep K Mohanty and Justice Biswajit Mohanty have directed the matter to be listed again this week for adjudication in view of its seriousness, said petitioner advocate Prabir Kumar Das.
According to reports, one Banita Nayak, daughter of Bijayananda Nayak of Jokabandh village of Aska made an attempt to commit suicide by setting herself afire on June 25 last when her parents expressed inability to arrange Rs 10 required for a pencil and a notebook.
Sustaining over 90 per cent burn injuries, the girl succumbed the same evening at the MKCG Medical College Hospital. The petition called for a high-level enquiry into the incident saying that the poor tribal girl was not paid the monthly stipend for over two years. Moreover, the Government school, in which she was studying, had collected annual fees of Rs 200 from her despite the fact that Right of Children for Free and Compulsory Education Act-2009 prohibits the same.
Stating that the State Government is obliged to promote educational interests of SC and ST students as mandated under Article 39 (f) and 46 of Indian Constitution, the petition has sought a damage of Rs 10 lakh to be paid to the parents of the deceased girl, who was studying in Class VII.