BHUBANESWAR: Even after three years, riot-hit children of Kandhamal district continue to languish sans help of any kind from the State Government. Immediately after the riots in 2008, children of the affected families were forced to drop out of schools and many of them turned child labourers. Many children along with their families migrated to other districts and states. There was allegedly no protection, no access to education and care provided to such children. These appalling facts and many other issues pertaining to children in Kandhamal were raised at a State-level public hearing on child labour and other child rights issues by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) here on Wednesday. Activist Mahendra Parida presented a survey report on the plight of children of Kandhamal by National Solidarity Forum and Integrated Rural Development for Weaker Sections in India (IRDWSI) before the Commission. He also presented a database of 1,500-odd riot-hit children which he had submitted to the NCPCR and the State Women and Child Welfare Department. He, however, alleged that the department is yet to take any action on it. On the occasion, Chairperson of the Commission Shantha Sinha said a team of officials of NCPCR investigated the impact of the communal violence in the district on the schoolchildren during their visit from January 19 to 21, 2009. Based on the investigation report, the NCPCR had recommended to the State Government to provide the schoolchildren with nutritious and hygienic food, safe drinking water, medical treatment, mosquito nets, recreation facilities and textbooks free of cost. However, the State Government has not taken the matter seriously, she said. No effective steps were taken to alleviate the students’ suffering, she added.Clarifying that the department had not received any report from Parida, Women and Child Welfare Secretary Arti Ahuja assured the Commission to look into the matter. She said modalities were being worked out to rehabilitate the riot-hit children of Kandhamal and enrol them in schools.The public hearing also highlighted lack of anganwadi centres, supplementary nutrition to deprived children, employment of children in hazardous jobs and poor infrastructure in schools.On migration of children, particularly from Balangir, to other states in search of work, Labour Commissioner Alekh Chandra Padhiary said the Labour Department officials had been asked to prepare a report on the number of children migrating. He said the State Labour Institute has started survey on the number of child labourers in Jeypore, Koraput, Nayagarh and Malkangiri and more areas will be covered soon.As many as 23 cases came up for hearing. Besides Sinha, the jury comprised Yogesh Dube, Vinod Kumar Tikoo, members of NCPCR, Rabi S Mishra, former district judge, and Suraj Kumar, RTE representative.
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