Taking note of rare complaints registered at the Grievance Redressal Cells for Right to Education (RTE) in ten districts under Jharkhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (JSCPCR) has
decided to set up similar cells in remaining 14 districts. Such an initiative will help in solving several problems related to RTE at block as well as district levels said the panel’s Chairperson Roop laxmi Munda on Monday.
Presently, there are 10 Grievance Redressal Cells out of 14 districts in the State -- Deoghar, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, lohardaga, Gumla and Chaibasa. “I will write a letter to the Social Welfare department Principal Secretary on Tuesday for approving the plan. Once he approves a meeting with Education and Social Welfare department officials will be conducted on formulating the plan,” Munda said on Monday.
Meanwhile, JSCPCR officials maintained that RTE Grievance Redressal Cells managed by Education department in most of the blocks of the State are receiving poor responses in filing complaints concerning the RTE. “Both urban and rural residents are unaware about the provisions of RTE Act implemented in 2009. We will be requesting the State government to give us the charge of these block grievance redressal cells since they are not functioning properly,” Ranjana Choudhury, a JSCPCR member said.
Notably, officials working under Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) are to be roped in for the management of these block centric RTE cells by the commission. Focusing about ICPS, Ministry of Women and Child Development website mentions it a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at building a protective environment for children in difficult circumstances, along with other vulnerable children, through Government-Civil Society Partnership On the other side, referring to loopholes in implementation of RTE across Jharkhand, recent reports mention on lack of counselors addressing child related problems in majority of the state schools. As of now, JSCPCR is busy in organising a two day programme on child protection issues at Jamshedpur from July 18. Speaking over the schedule, Choudhury said, “NCPCR team will reach Jamshedpur on July 18 wherein a day long interaction will be conducted with School Management Committees of the entire district. On the second day, a field visit of these members is scheduled.”Munda and Choudhury had inspected the functioning of mid-day meal provision in a school of Jamshedpur on June 27.