VISAKHAPATNAM/RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: About 70 girls of the Tribal Welfare Gurukul College in Rampachodavaram were hospitalised after being allegedly given corporal punishment by the principal.
They alleged that the principal asked 100 girls to do 200 sit-ups as a punishment. Among them, 70 girls were hospitalised due to severe anaemia. Except one, all other girls were discharged.
Though the incident occurred on Friday, it came to light on Tuesday after several parents led by tribal associations staged a dharna at the college. Rampachodavaram MLA Miriyala Sireesha Devi visited the hospital and enquired about the health of girls.
A four-member inquiry committee was constituted. It will probe the charges against the college principal and her harsh behaviour towards the female students. ITDA Project Officer Katta Simhachalam said action will be taken against the principal G Prasuna if she is found guilty.
The girls told to the Project Officer that the principal made them clean washrooms. “We have to follow her directions. Otherwise, the principal used to ask us to do 100 to 200 sit-ups. We were asked to do 200 sit-ups per day for three days. We developed body pains and some even fainted,” they revealed.
The Project Officer and Kalpasri Sub-Collector who visited the hospital, asked them to concentrate on their studies. Tribal Welfare Deputy Director John Raju has been appointed to look into the allegations made by the girls against the principal.
Meanwhile, the ITDA served a show-cause notice on Prasuna and another college staff seeking explanation on the corporal punishment given to the girls. About 375 girls are studying in the tribal college.
Speaking to the media, several victim girls accused the principal of harassing them in the name of discipline for the past few months. “We are forced to clean the washrooms, and dining hall. Sometimes she used to ask us to do gardening work also on the college premises. On Friday, the principal asked us to do 100 sit-ups. She gave the corporal punishment in a room where there was no CCTV surveillance cameras,” the girls disclosed.
Tribals Association State president Lota Rama Rao said the college principal and several other staff members were behaving in an inhuman manner towards the tribal girls by imposing corporal punishment frequently.
They have been harassing the students physically and mentally. “We appeal to the State government to take disciplinary action against the principal and other staff to prevent recurrence of such incidents,” he said.