The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has ordered the Baleswar District Education Officer (DEO) to submit an action-taken report (ATR) over injury of students in schools due to wall collapse by April 4. The commission passed the order while acting on a petition of Human Rights Watch secretary Sangita Swain.
According to the petitioner, on February 1 last year, two students namely Smruti Ranjan Rout and Prabhakar Behera of Villa High School sustained serious injuries as a portion of the school wall caved in on them. A teacher was also seriously injured while he was rescuing them.
The petitioner alleged that the mishap occurred due to the inaction of school headmaster Chakradhara Mahakud and school managing committee president Arjun Khilar. She prayed the commission to initiate criminal proceeding against the concerned people and Rs 5 lakh each to the victims as compensation.