Morung Express News
Dimapur/Kohima | October 24
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) is set to be executed between the Nagaland State Rural Livelihood Mission (NSRLM) and the National Health Mission to implement the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) scheme in the state.
The counsel representing the Principal Secretary and the Principal Director of Nagaland’s Health and Family Welfare Department provided this information to the Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench on October 23 while seeking an adjournment of the hearing regarding a PIL on the issue.
Consequently, the Division Bench, consisting of Justice Kakheto Sema and Justice Budi Habung, granted four weeks for the counsel to file an affidavit regarding the implementation of the scheme.
The matter pertains to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in December 2020, seeking the proper implementation of the RKSK scheme in Nagaland. The scheme was launched by the Government of India in 2014 to ensure the holistic development of the adolescent population.
While the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare communicated the scheme to all Mission Directors of states and union territories in 2016, it is yet to be implemented in Nagaland, the PIL contended.
Among other points, the PIL highlighted that while the scheme mandates the provision of sanitary napkins to adolescent girls at a subsidized rate and aims to spread awareness, it has not been implemented in the state. Thus, those requiring sanitary napkins are forced to buy them at inflated prices, the petitioner said, adding that representations made to the concerned authorities requesting the implementation of the scheme have not received any positive response.
Accordingly, the petitioner has approached the court through the PIL seeking appropriate directions.
Court disposes PIL on Mon schools
Meanwhile, the Division Bench closed a PIL on Wednesday concerning the non-implementation of the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, in two schools in Mon Town: GMS Mon Town A and GMS Mon Town D.
Among other requests, the PIL sought direction for the appointment of Science and Mathematics teachers at GMS Mon Town D and Hindi and qualified Mathematics teachers at GMS Mon Town A. It also called for the appointment of a sweeper and chowkidar, renovation of the existing buildings, construction of additional classrooms, boundary fencing, a library, provision of hostel facilities for out-of-station students, clean drinking water facilities, and computers.
During the hearing on October 23, the counsel for the petitioner, Neiteo Koza, submitted that most of the pleas in the PIL had been substantially addressed. However, the absence of a Science teacher at GMS Mon Town A was raised.
Accordingly, Justice Sema and Justice Habung disposed of the PIL with a direction to the state respondents to immediately appoint qualified Science teachers at GMS Mon Town A, based on the rationalization of teachers by the School Education Department.
