After scores of cases of sexual abuse, violation of minimum nutritional standards due to administrative lapses have become regular features in the schools of welfare schools managed by the SC and ST Development department in the district here.
On Thursday, all the tribal girls staying in the hostel of Kolnara Sevasharam fled the hostel after getting it locked. The primary school has 181 pupils in total.
Though the school has classes from one to five, girls numbering 150(ST-140, SC-10) of 6th to 10th reading outside stay in the school campus as hostellers. The management of the hostel ran smooth till the previous headmaster was transferred.
After his departure, a lady teacher, who took over charge, did not pay heed to several issues of the girls like their illness, supplementary class and unnecessary interference of local hooligans during odd hours.
When the Block Welfare Extension Officer and the Assistant District Welfare Officer visited the school recently, the girls complained about the irregularities and demanded proper action taken within a week.
Their primary demand was to bring back the transferred headmaster or else appoint a teacher who stays back after regular school hours. The authorities only assured the girls to take necessary action but did nothing.
Seeing no response from the authorities even after ten days, the girls decided to leave the hostel en masse. Most of the tribal girls, who come from Mukundapur hills which is around 20 km away from their school, fled by walking and reached Mukundapur. There their parents and guardians assembled and resisted the insensitivity of the district administration.
The PA-ITDA along with other officials, who reached the spot, persuaded the girls and their parents to come back. He assured that all their issues will be judiciously considered. Nevertheless, it failed to have any impact on the parents and their wards.
Ironically, all this is happening in a district where the Minister himself represents ST-SC welfare department. On November 14, Chief Minister Naveen Pattanaik will be inaugurating several projects in Muniguda and Kolnara where these serious problems may be brought to his notice.