DCs ‘not reporting’ to child rights panel on school bus safety

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 27

Despite the High Court being strict regarding the violation of traffic norms by school buses and the Child Rights Protection Commission trying to implement the ‘Safe Vahan’ policy regarding the safety of school buses, Deputy Commissioners and other officials concerned seemed to be not taking it seriously.

For instance, the Child Rights Protection Commission is repeatedly writing to all Deputy Commissioners to send monthly action report to it. However, except for SBS Nagar Deputy Commissioner, no other Deputy Commissioner has sent the report.

Sources in the Child Rights Protection Commission said they had first written to all DCs on April 12 to send the action report at the earliest. However, not even a single DC sent the required information that time. Thereafter, the commission sent a reminder on July 11, asking DCs to submit report by July 25.

“Except for the SBS Nagar Deputy Commissioner, no other DC sent us the report till the evening of July 25. The commission is again issuing a reminder to DCs. Even the District Transport Officers (DTOs) of four districts — Sangrur, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana and Fazilka — were recently summoned regarding the safety of school students and the implementation of the Safe Vahan policy,” said Rajwinder Singh Gill, Deputy Director, Child Rights Protection Commission.

On the other hand, sources claimed that the District Safe Vahan Inspection Committees formed in the state were working under immense “political pressure”.

“Recently, a district-level team had gone to the school of an SAD leader in Malwa region, who misbehaved with the officials. Later, the officials decided to approach the court. Then the issue was settled with a compromise and the buses violating the norms were penalised. These are the issues responsible for the half-hearted approach of the officials concerned now,” said a source.

Courtesy: The Tribune