MUMBAI: In damage control mode after the rapes at an Ashram Shala in Buldhana, the Maharashtra government has decided to ascertain whether girls in such schools across the State are asked to do domestic work by government officials.
A government circular, dated November 5, has given women’s committees from such Ashram Shalas a 13-point agenda and asked them to report whether the staff quarters of male employees are far away from the dormitories for girl students.
After the Buldhana incident, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered setting up of the committees that would visit aided and unaided Ashram Shalas to identify the state of affairs. The committees are expected to commence their visits after November 15.
At present, there are 546 aided and 529 government-run Ashram Shalas under the Tribal Development Department. There are 2.53 lakh students in aided ashram schools and 1.93 lakh students studying in government-run ashram schools.
The department has asked the committees to submit their reports by November 22.
The other issues which the committees are expected probe include whether the girl students have adequate and independent rooms to stay, whether women superintendents have been appointed for girl student dormitories, whether there are adequate toilet and washroom facilities per 20 girl students, are the toilets in proper condition, is there a register maintained for visitors, do they have adequate water supply and whether the toll-free complaint number is being used.
Meanwhile, in a setback to Minister for Woman and Child Development Pankaja Munde department’s Take Home Ration (THR) scheme, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao has amended the National Food Security Act, 2013, for its application to Scheduled Areas (Tribal Areas) and replaced the word “Take Home Ration” with “Hot Cooked Meal”. The amendment seeks to improve the nutrition status of children aged below six, and pregnant and lactating women.
Rao had asked the State to formulate schemes for providing eggs and hot cooked meals to children aged under six and pregnant and lactating women.