The national human rights commission (NHRC) has sought an action taken report from Ganjam district collector over the death of a 10-year-old boy from Tulasipur village under Khallikote police station in Ganjam district on February 11.
The boy Pabitra Pahan, a Class V student, was killed after an iron gate of a cyclone shelter centre at his village collapsed and fell on him. Pabitra and his friends were playing near the shelter home when the incident happened. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. Locals alleged the gate collapsed due to substandard work done by the contractor.
The Commission issued this direction on Tuesday after hearing a petition filed by human rights activist and lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy. The petitioner alleged that poor quality of construction of the cyclone shelter and lack of maintenance due to inaction and negligence of the district administration amounts to serious violation of human rights.
Tripathy urged the commission for an investigation into the matter, proper maintenance of the cyclone shelter, provision of playground for kids, compliance of other provisions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act in the School and compensation to the next of kin of the deceased.

After hearing the matter, the NHRC issued notice to Ganjam collector and called for a report on this issue within four weeks.
Commission may invoke coercive action if the administration does not submit the report in time. “The Commission shall be constrained to invoke coercive process under section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 calling for a personal appearance of the authority concerned for submission of the report, in case the report is not received within the stipulated time,” said the NHRC in its

Read Less