Rourkela: The district welfare officer (DWO) and child welfare committee (CWC) Friday began a probe into the alleged irregularities committed at Urban Education Complex (UEC), a hostel for small kids which is functioning near Uditnagar Government School here.
Oriya daily Dharitri recently carried a report on the issue following which the administration swung into action, it was leant.
The officials sought a report from Lalatendu Parida, the superintendent of the institution over the death of a six-year-old tribal girl Duari Oram of Gurundia block who died of malaria July 24. They sought to know from Parida whether the administration was apprised of her death. The members also raised questions as to how the girls’ hostel of the government school was converted into an Urban Education Complex.
CWC members Jyoti Ranjan Sahoo, Pradip Kumar Mishra and DWO Sharat Chandra Sahoo inspected all the rooms of UEC. During the investigation, it came to light that 297 kids have been put up in the hostel instead of its capacity of 200.
The food supplied to children was also found to be of poor quality. While government supplies 40 gm of dal for each inmate, the hostel authorities had used only 4 to 5 kg of dal for 297 children, it was observed. The members expressed disappointment over the fact that there was no sick room for health check-ups of children.
They also came to know from superintendent Parida that 25 kids had left for their homes after falling sick.
All the findings of the probe would be sent to CWC chairman, collector, ICDS office and if necessary to the Centre, member Jyoti Ranjan Sahoo said.
The children would be shifted to a new hostel once it is finalised by the government, DWO Sahoo said. PNN
