The Hindu 30.07.2010
Provide books, study material to slum children, HC directs CMC
Correspondent
| State told to provide employment to Maa Mangala evacuees |
CUTTACK: In a remarkable order, the Orissa High Court on Thursday asked the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to provide books and other study material to the children of slum dwellers, who were evicted from their hearths and relocated at a nearby place earlier this month.
The bench of Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice Indrajit Mohanty also asked the civic body to arrange a place of education with teachers for these children near their place of stay and are provided with mid-day-meals.
More than 150 families of Maa Mangala, slum who were evicted from near the SCB Medical College and Hospital here on July 4, are now relocated at Hadia Patha, an island inside river Mahanadi following High Court order. Not only that the evacuees were provided with temporary shelter, they are also being provided with free meals by the district administration as per the order of the court.
However, when it was brought to the notice of the court that more than 115 students of the slum have not gone to school and their studies are being affected ever since they were displaced, the HC took cognisance of it.
The court also gave a relief to the local administration when it was pleaded that Orissa Relief Code does not allow the district administration to provide free food to the evictees for such a long period. “Henceforth the State government would provide free food to the evictees till the next hearing of the case,” the bench ordered. The case has been adjourned to August 4 next.
The State government was also asked by the HC to provide work to the slum dwellers under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) until further orders. It was reported that following their displacement, the slum dwellers were not able to get any work at their new settlement.
Asking the officials of the State and Union government, who were summoned to the court on the day, to positively file an affidavit before the next date of hearing, the bench specifically wanted to know from the Centre whether any budgetary allocation is made by the Union government for the welfare of the slum dwellers.
