Police have taken necessary steps to punish the guilty responsible for impregnating three tribal girl students, Odisha Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development Minister Jagannath Saraka told the Assembly today.
Saraka clarified that the three girl students of tribal residential schools in Khurda, Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanja districts have became pregnant while they were in their villages during the vacations.
Making a statement in the house in compliance with the direction of the Speaker S N Patro, the Minister said in all the cases police have taken necessary steps to punish the guilty by registering cases against the accused.
The Speaker gave the direction after Narasingha Mishra (Cong) and Bishnu Charan Sethi(BJP) on July 2 last alleged that minor girls in government run residential schools are being sexually exploited and urged the Speaker to direct the Minister to make a statement in the house.
Saraka said the government is concerned about the security, safety and health of the students staying in the Residential School.
He said direction has been given to check up the health of all students when they joined the school after vacation.
Accordingly health check up was done by the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karkyam (RBSK) team in Khordha.
During the initial health check up four girls were suspected to have been found pregnant. But later during a detail check up at the Capital hospital in Bhubaneswar only one was tested positive. The student, he said is being provided with all medi care after necessary counselling.
During the preliminary police investigation it was found that one of her neighbours had kept relations with her while she was at her home during summer vacation. Police arrested the accused after investigation.
Similarly, two girls of Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanja became the victims of such incidents in January and February last while they were in their homes during vacation, he said.
The Minister said the government has taken steps to cover girls’ residential hostels under CCTV scanner and install 1120 CCTV cameras in the premises of the hostels.
He said the conviction rate was very less as the government failed to separate the investigating agency from the law and order unit and not recruiting cadre Public Prosecutors (PP) and Assistant Public Prosecutors (APP).
Mr Mishra urged the Speaker to direct the government to recruit cadre PP and APP and fill up the posts lying vacant and separate the investigating agency from law and order unit.
He was supported by his party colleague Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
Speaker S N Patro directed the law Minister to fill up the posts of PPs and APPs lying vacant.
