Children seek road, toilet at grievances meet

Complaints on lack of electricity, road connectivity, playground, toilets and others poured in at the grievance meeting and child rights awareness programme, organised for schoolchildren, at Zilla Panchayat Hall in Udupi on Monday.

The programme was jointly organised by Karnataka Child Rights Protection Commission (KACRPC), district administration and Women and Child Development Department.

“My house does not have an electricity connection and I find it difficult to study after dusk when the darkness envelopes our house. I do not have toilet in my house...” where some of the major complaints aired by the students said during the programme.

Manikanta of MJC School, Manipal said, “I stay in Rahul Nagar and my house does not have a toilet. I request officials to construct a toilet in my house.”

Karnataka Child Rights Protection Commission member Vanitha Torvi responded by directing Manipal police to collect the address of the boy and directed Udupi Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer (EO) to take measures to construct the toilet in the boy’s house.

Deepak, a class eight student from a school in Nethaji Nagar, complained about lack of good road to his school.

“Many motorcyclists have fallen and have suffered injuries after travelling on the bad road. Further, the area does not have proper drainage facility. We do not have a playground to play,” he said

Udupi Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis said, “Nehru Nagar comes under Badagabettu gram panchayat and land for playground will be identified in Nehru Nagar.”

Reacting to the complaints about houses waiting for electricity connection, Vanitha Torvi directed officials to impress upon the parents in Bijapura Colony to enroll their children in hostels.

She directed the education department officials to deploy teachers and ensure that there was no shortage of teachers in the schools.

Vanitha also directed officials to submit a report after addressing the grievances aired by the children to the KSCRPC.

Vanitha revealed that the Commission was receiving letters from schoolchildren on the problems faced by them in their villages. As redressal gets delayed at the state-level, the Commission had decided to verify such complaints at district-level and try to redress it.

Children from Byndoor
region had sought suitable road and cycles to reach the school.

Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Fracis said, “Children normally do not openly discuss about their problems. When children open their mouth, we have to understand the gravity of the situation. Many a time, the problems may affect the development of their personality.”

Udupi Zilla Panchayat CEO Sindhu B Roopesh said, “All efforts will be made to solve the problems aired by the students at the earliest.”