The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department has directed the gram panchayt staff to identify children who have dropped out from school in villages and ensure their enrollment. According to a circular, gram panchayat workers have been tasked with conducting a door-to-door survey from December 15 and upload the details by January 15, 2021.
Along with the panchayt staff, the surveyors should include one anganwadi member and a representative from a women’s self help group, the circular stated. The surveyors will be paid Rs 5 per house and they are expected to cover 50 houses per day.
The survey details will be uploaded on childrensurvey.karnataka.gov.in
The department’s directions are coming in the wake of an interim direction by the Karnataka High Court earlier this year, in which the state government was told to immediately conduct the household survey to identify out-of-school children.
Speaking to DH, Panchayat Raj principal secretary Uma Mahadevan said even though the survey dates coincided with the gram panchayat elections (December 22 and 27), it would not be in conflict with the polls. “This is an annual survey. The panchayat staff will take up the survey along with anganwadi and self help group members,” she said.