After receiving NHRC notice, Guj govt says will construct bridge
21 Aug 2014 6:11 AM IST
The National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday issued a notice to Gujarat government over a media report about children swimming across a river to reach school.
A notice in this connection has been issued to the chief secretary of government of Gujarat calling for a report within four weeks, according to an official statement released on Wednesday.
The notice was issued after the commission took suo motu cognisance of a media report that in absence of a bridge, about 125 students of five villages in Chhota Udepur district of Gujarat have to swim across the Hiran River to go to their government school in Utavadi Village in Tilakwada Taluka of District Narmada.
‘The villagers have been requesting for construction of a bridge over the river for a very long time but in vain. The report carries a photograph of the children swimming across the river,’ the statement said. Meanwhile, within hours of being reprimanded by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the issue, Gujarat government on Wednesday announced to construct a bridge over the Hiran river in Chhota Udepur district.
State road and building minister Nitin Patel, who is also the spokesperson minister of Gujarat government, claimed that the state government has already given the approval to build a bridge six days back.
‘Earlier, several BJP workers and former MLAs of that area made their representation on the issue. Even the villagers and sarpanch of the villages came to meet me. At that time, I had personally assured them that the government will definitely approve the work,’ Patel told reporters here.
He said his department had also submitted a technical report and estimate to build the bridge.
‘On 14 August, the government officially approved the construction of a bridge at cost of Rs 8 crore on Hiran river.
Thus, NHRC’s notice does not stand its ground, as the bridge is already approved,’ Patel said.
A notice in this connection has been issued to the chief secretary of government of Gujarat calling for a report within four weeks, according to an official statement released on Wednesday.
The notice was issued after the commission took suo motu cognisance of a media report that in absence of a bridge, about 125 students of five villages in Chhota Udepur district of Gujarat have to swim across the Hiran River to go to their government school in Utavadi Village in Tilakwada Taluka of District Narmada.
‘The villagers have been requesting for construction of a bridge over the river for a very long time but in vain. The report carries a photograph of the children swimming across the river,’ the statement said. Meanwhile, within hours of being reprimanded by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the issue, Gujarat government on Wednesday announced to construct a bridge over the Hiran river in Chhota Udepur district.
State road and building minister Nitin Patel, who is also the spokesperson minister of Gujarat government, claimed that the state government has already given the approval to build a bridge six days back.
‘Earlier, several BJP workers and former MLAs of that area made their representation on the issue. Even the villagers and sarpanch of the villages came to meet me. At that time, I had personally assured them that the government will definitely approve the work,’ Patel told reporters here.
He said his department had also submitted a technical report and estimate to build the bridge.
‘On 14 August, the government officially approved the construction of a bridge at cost of Rs 8 crore on Hiran river.
Thus, NHRC’s notice does not stand its ground, as the bridge is already approved,’ Patel said.
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