E-Paper
MP: Khajuraho children 'forced' to walk barefoot in function
Children were forced to walk barefoot for long distance carrying posters and banners to take part in MP foundation day programme organised by Khajuraho Nagar Panchyat on Saturday.
Children were forced to walk barefoot for long distance carrying posters and banners to take part in MP foundation day programme organised by Khajuraho Nagar Panchyat on Saturday.
However the local administration is in denial mode and has blamed an NGO Adhar for it though the NGO has claimed that it had received invitation for the programme.
According to the information, around 60-70 children reached the venue of the foundation day function at the behest of local NGO Adhar and 'anganwadi' workers of ward number 5 and 6 were also present with the children.
However, the children were forced to cover a distance of about 2-3 km to reach the programme venue and most of them were barefoot. The children were holding posters and banners related to 'Anganwadi Chalo Abhiyan' and most of them were from slum localities.
Khajuraho Nagar Panchyat chief municipal officer (CMO) SK Pandey, however, said that none of the child was barefoot and they had been brought solely by a local NGO who works for their upliftment and no 'anganwadi' worker was with them. Khajuraho tehsildar Balbir Raman said he didn't see the children during the programme.
Mehroon Afroz of NGO Adhar said, "We were invited by the Nagar Panchyat to take part in the programme and some of our children also performed. Anganwadi workers of ward number 5 and 6 were with us. Children were not made to walk long distance. They arrived on auto-rickshaw."
Mehroon further said that we can't ask the kids not to come barefoot and it is not a big issue. Chhatarpur collector Masood Akhtar said that he would look into the matter.
