By IANS,
New Delhi : A panel for child rights has issued a notice to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on a complaint against a proposal to distribute money for uniforms and bags by councillors in primary schools ahead of the Diwali festival.
Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) member Shashank Shekhar Friday said: “The commission fails to understand as to why these distributions are being made through councillors and the existing system of distribution of such articles to the children has been discontinued.”
“The proposed way of distribution will not only adversely affect the psychology of the children but also is not in the best interest of the children,” Shekhar said on a petition filed by NGO Social Jurist.
The MCD has decided to pay Rs.500 each to students of Class 1-5 and Rs.310 each to students of nursery for buying two sets of uniforms, a jersey, a pair of shoes and two pairs of socks.
With MCD elections round the corner, both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress councillors decided to distribute money personally to students for purchasing winter uniforms.
The commission asked the agency to take urgent steps by Oct 19 regarding the issue and inform it about the reason for deviating from the prevailing system and adopting a system which was not child-friendly.