Berhampur, July 1: The life of 12-year-old Jayanti Nayak, a class VII student of a government-run high school in Aska, could have been saved had the government monitored the distribution of scholarships.
Jayanti had committed suicide by setting herself on fire as her poor parents could not buy her a notebook and a pencil on June 26.
Preliminary investigation by the district administration revealed that her school was not distributing pre-matric scholarships meant for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students for the last two years.
The state government provides Rs 200 to girls and Rs 150 to boys every year to assist them in their studies. Jayanti belonged to the scheduled castes.
District collector Premchandra Chowdhury said: “I have already ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident and action would be taken after block education officer, Aska, submits his report. The official will ascertain whether the higher-ups were aware about non-disbursement of pre-matric scholarships in the school.”
The district administration has given Rs 10,000 to the bereaved family from the Red Cross fund and Rs 8,000 from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Moved by the plight of the poor family, the district administration has also decided to provide the family a plot to build a house.
The deceased girl’s father is suffering from partial paralysis and the family depends on her mother, who works as a domestic help. “We have initiated steps to admit Nandini and Ujjwal, the sister and brother of Jayanti to a residential school and look after their future studies,” the Ganjam collector said.
Congress leader and former Union minister Chandra Sekhar Sahu, however, has demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
“Inquiry by the officers of the education department that failed to provide facilities to the beneficiaries under the Sarva Sikhya Abhiyan is just an eyewash,” he said.
He pointed out that Rs 250 crore are spent every year for 3,81,222 students studying in 3,721 schools in Ganjam. This includes Rs 6.50 crore for free textbooks, Rs 16.60 crore for uniforms, Rs 1.50 crore for teaching materials and Rs 50.32 crore for midday meal.
“But a girl student who aspires to study despite the poverty of her family is forced to commit suicide. It’s a great shame for the entire society,” he said.
