By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 24: The death of two students from Meghalaya due to food poisoning in a Karnataka school has put a question mark on the ability of the state government to provide free and compulsory education to children from economically deprived background, forcing them to look for opportunities outside.
Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma, however, on Monday claimed the state government is ensuring free and compulsory education according to the Right to Education Act. He questioned the need for sending children outside Meghalaya, asserting that there are enough provisions for free education for children from deprived background.
Reacting to the death of the two students, he said the department sent its team to Karnataka as soon as they received the information.
“We have to find out the motive of the agencies (who took the children to Karnataka) but I am sure that they were taken with the consent of their families and we have limitations to intervene,” he said.
The Karnataka incident occurred when the students were served stale dinner from a local restaurant on Holi, leading to mass food poisoning. The local authorities arrested six persons, including the restaurant cook, hotel owner, and members of the school staff.
Food samples have been sent for forensic examination for a thorough investigation.
A total of 29 students, including 22 from Meghalaya and seven from Malavalli, Karnataka, were discharged from the Mandya Institute of Medical Science in Mandya, following treatment for food poisoning a couple of days before.
Review of pending
edn sector projects
The government on Monday reviewed the pending projects in the education sector, including the long-overdue Eklavya Model Residential (EMR) schools.
Sangma said some projects are pending for 10 to 15 years and the focus of the meeting was also on starting some commerce and science colleges apart from polytechnic institutes.
During the meeting, the minister instructed officials to expedite the projects delayed on technical grounds and some land issues.
“Thirteen of the 38 EMR schools are in different stages of construction while 13 are in the tendering process. The remaining schools are in the documentation stage,” he said.
The state government has taken over the projects that were initially awarded to a Manipur-based firm.
Sangma also said that the scholarships for the Scheduled Tribe students are being disbursed.