Pardarshita

Friday 9 January 2015

Remarkable step by Child Welfare Committeee Sanskar Ashram Delhi

Children studying in Municipal & Government schools and their parents from North East district of Delhi have made hundreds of complaints with Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) and Education Department regarding lack of sanitation, drinking water etc. in their schools. But these complaints are lost somewhere in the heaps of files in DCPCR and Department. Once or twice DCPCR sent a letter that school has taken action on your complaint and DCPCR get satisfied with action on paper, whereas the situation on ground remains the same.

In New Seema Puri there is a Municipal Corporation School Building in which three schools run in two shifts and approximately 4000 children are studying in these three schools. There are toilets constructed in all floors of the school building but since August 2014 all toilets were blocked due to blockage in main sever line of the school. The situation was so terrible that toilet blocks were over flown and waste from toilet comes to the class rooms.

Principals of all these three schools have not only written several request to their senior officials to clear the blockage of sewer line whereas they also met personally and briefed about the worst condition of the school. More than four months passed but no action has been taken by the department to clear the blockage of sever line.

Knowing the fact that DCPCR is not doing proper disposal of complaints, therefore parents and SMC members have filed the complaint with Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Sanskar Ashram on 12/12/2014 and requested to take action on this.

CWC, Sanskar Ashram has taken cognizance immediately on the complaint and issued notice to Education Director, East Delhi Municipal Corporation and directed him to appear personally on 22/12/2014 to give explanation about action taken on the issue. As soon the notice served we have noticed miracle the very next day. The whole department was in the school and they were engaged in the work of clearing the blockage of sewer line. During the clearance of sewer line two trucks of garbage have taken out from sewer.

We welcome this remarkable step taken by Child Welfare Committee and request DCPCR to learn how a quasi judicial body act in the best interest of children.

Directorate of Education (DOE) has started hearing under GR mechanism

Many children studying in schools run by Delhi government have filed written complaint before Deputy Director of Education (DDE) against lack of basic facilities like improper sitting arrangements, drinking water, lack of toilets, sanitation etc. in their school. They have registered their complaints by using Grievance Redressal Mechanism established by DOE under provision of Sec 32 of RTE Act.

On the basis of these complaints DDE has appointed an Investigation Officer (IO) to investigate the matter. Today the appointed IO has called these children for hearing. During the hearing these children has given their statements before the IO.

In earlier Education Department never followed the process of hearing on complaints. DOE always disposed off the cases in a closed room without any inquiry and without giving opportunity of hearing to aggrieved person. Time to time we have regularly made strong opposition. Now they have started the hearing process and it is a welcoming step by DOE. We hope now DOE will take action as per statement of these children.

Delhi Commission of Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) is habitual to dispose off the cases without any inquiry and hearing opportunity and act like a postman on RTE grievances. So DCPCR should learn from this.