The Opposition Congress on Tuesday blamed the State Government for growing incidents of tribal minor students getting motherhood in hostels run by the State SC and ST Development Department (SSD). Raising the issue through an Adjournment Motion in the Assembly, Opposition Congress members alleged that the State Government has been callous to the welfare of the tribal community.
Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the State Government’s lackadaisical attitude towards Adivasi community has been proved by the regular shameful incidents. Parents of Adivasi students are in a state of fear to send their children to the Ashram schools for study, he said. He said no Government official or Minister is visiting the Ashram schools to examine safety of the girls. He said the Ashram schools are lacking facilities for girls and ANMs are not checking health of students regularly.
Other Congress Members Prafulla Majhi, KC Kulesika and Krishna Chandra Sagaria kept their views on the motion. They said a very shameful situation has taken place and blamed SC and ST Minister lal Bihari Himirika for the same and demanded his resignation on moral grounds. On the other hand, ruling members Pramila Behera, Padmanav Behera and Raseswari Panigrahi refuted the charges and urged the Government to provide more facilities in the Ashram schools.
In his reply, Minister Himirika said all steps have been taken for safety of students in Ashram schools. “In every school, a male teacher has been appointed as assistant manager of boys’ hostel and a female teacher as assistant manager of girl’s hostel. Similarly, a male cook in every boys’ hostel and a female cook in every girls’ hostel has been posted. Now, 221 ANMs are on duty to check health of both boys and girls regularly,” the Minister said.
Similarly, he said steps have been initiated to appoint 3,000 matrons for safety of students, adding that a total of 4.5 lakh students and nearly 4 lakh hostel inmates are availing education due to proper management of the schools. He also announced that a quarterly examination would be conducted in the schools henceforth and steps would be taken to construct boundary wall around the school which didn’t have the same. Expressing resentment over the Minister’s reply, the Congress members staged a walkout.