Shillong, April 23: The 22 students, who were recently affected by the food poisoning incident at Mandya, Karnataka, on Wednesday arrived in Shillong even as the Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh assured that all of them will immediately get admitted to government schools.
Welcoming the return of these students during a meeting at the Directorate of Social Welfare, Lyngdoh said this was facilitated by the hard work of the department through the director and officers – which three of them accompanied these children from Karnataka.
“During their stay in Karnataka, they have to make arrangements to ensure that things are done in a manner which is legally tenable and which is lawful and as per protocol provided by the law. After that exercise was completed, the team from Karnataka led by a senior leader of the Child and Women Rights Commission had then agreed to accompany the children and brought them back to Shillong today,” he added.
Lyngdoh informed that the parents are in touch with two officers, who are representing the department of Education for a smooth arrangement for their onward studies.
“Now that they have left their courses midway the department of Education has assured us that they need two-three days to complete all necessary formalities and then they will ensure that these kids are admitted to government run schools in areas, which are in proximity to their address,” he assured.
He added, “Now in some cases these parents are also migrant workers, which means that they keep shifting from one place to another and in such cases also, we will obtain their correct address and ensure they are enrolled in a school close by and as and when they shift, they have to give us prior notice so that we facilitate their next admission in course of their movement from place to place.”
When asked, Lyngdoh said the government has nothing to do with the government in as far as sending these children for studies to Karnataka.
“These parents when they decided to send their wards to Karnataka, they did that under a particular NGO, which is in Jowai, West Jaintia Hills District, and the conversation that started was between the leaders of the NGO and the parents, so it had nothing to do with the government. They did not seek any help from the government, any direction, any advice, it was only when the unfortunate incident happened wherein, they had this episode of food poisoning that we lost two of them and only after that they informed the state government,” he said.
“In any normal situation, our advice is that even in case such children require to pursue their studies outside the state, they should seek proper guidance and help of the government of Meghalaya and as far as their studies within the state is concerned, we are mandated to ensure admission of all kids from age of 6 to 14 under RTE, Act 2013,” the minister added further.
