Mail News Service
Imphal, June 5 : Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) today directed the state government and school authorities to ensure protection of children during their transportation to school and back home. A Nabachandra, Chairman of the Commission today issued 13 recommendations to the authorities in a sitting held here at its office. He said there should be proper policy to transport school children and government should fix the numbers of students to be taken in a school van/school bus.
Transport department was directed to check vehicles as per the Motor Vehicles Act. Transporters were asked not to take up multiple jobs, paint same colour for all school vehicles, Education Department, Manipur and the Transport Department, Manipur were directed to develop appropriate modalities for streamlining services of the school van/ school bus .
The decision were taken today after the Commission took up a suo moto case 15 school children falling unconscious inside a school van on May 23 last. The Commission noted that the silencer of the van was not working properly and Carbon monoxide was released inside the van. As it was raining on the said day the driver closed the windows which resulted in the students in the age group of 7 to 11 falling unconscious.
The driver after changing the van with the help of school teachers took the children to JNIMS where the students regained consciousness after oxygen was administered for about one hour. The Commission also noted that any delay in transportation of the children could have been fatal.
The Commission said as expressed in the Directive Principles of State Policy in Article 39 (f) of the Constitution of India that “Children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment” the observations, recommendations and findings was disposed of. Members of the Commission K. Maharabi Singh, Y. Nolini Devi, Th. Jaya , Lamminlian Vaiphei , Ch.Nabachandra also were present during the hearing.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/child-protection-commission-wants-govt-to-safeguard-school-going-children/
