The Orissa government on said that it would soon be responding the National Human Rights Commission’s queries on the use of school buildings in the POSCO area in coastal Jagatsinghpur district for the purpose of housing police forces.

A highly placed official in the state secretariat said that the matter has already been referred to the Jagatsinghpur district administration.

The NHRC had sent a letter to the state government on the issue on Wednesday and had directed the state chief secretary and police DG to respond to its queries within 15 days. NHRC had taken up the matter on its own after going through media reports.

NCPCR member secretary Mr Yogesh Dube had said after a visit to the POSCO area early this month said that “School buildings are meant for children’s studies and should not be used for any other purpose. I have already advised the chief secretary to vacate the school buildings as early as possible.”

Earlier, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had also expressed its concern over the use of school buildings for purpose of housing the police and directed the state government to refrain from it.

Responding to Dube’s comments, the state government had assured to shift the police from the school buildings in a phased manner. State Chief Secretary Bijoy Patnaik had said that “We do respect the views expressed by the NCPCR. The police will be shifted from the school buildings within a stipulated time.”

Police forces have been deployed in the area in Jagatsinghpur district where local villagers are currently agitating against the 12 million tonne mega steel plant proposed to be setup by the South Korean steel major POSCO.

Child rights activists have been strongly criticising the Orissa government for housing these police forces in the school buildings in the area.

(Sourced from DHNS)