With no high school nearby, these children from a village close to the forests in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district used to trek through the forest area to reach the nearest village for pursuing their secondary school education. Some used to trek 10 km daily.
The village in question is Pacchedoddi, about 15 km from Hanur. As many as 18 children used to walk daily to schools in nearby villages since their village lacked higher primary and high school. The village also lacks proper road connectivity and transportation.
The travails came to light after Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S. Suresh Kumar, who is also the Minister in-charge of Chamarajnagar district, announced his wish to stay overnight in the school, as a part of his School Stay programme.
The Minister promised to arrange transportation for the students of Class 6 to 10 to reach schools where they had taken admission. All school students from Pacchedoddi will get the facility, he added.
The Minister had earlier stayed at a school in Gopinatham, a village located on the foothills of Male Mahadeshwara.
The children had sought a Kannada medium school at the village besides demanding drinking water, laboratory and other benefits. The Minister promised to look into them.
“In my next visit to Pacchedoddi, the demands of the locals would be addressed,” he said, adding that Deputy Commissioner M.D. Ravi has promised to prepare a report on the problems of 11 villages located on the forest fringes in the district.
The Pachedoddi villagers have sought one additional classroom for the school besides hostel for students. Other demands include transportation from the Forest Development Committee for the children and the people; mobile PDS outlet; mini anganwadi; roads and electricity.