DHENKANAL: Funds crunch has hit the functioning of 35 special schools under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) in the district. Reports said funds are not forthcoming for the last one and a half years plunging the schools into uncertainty. According to official sources, the schools were opened under the Central project in July 2007. As many as 20 leading civil society organisations signed an agreement with the district administration to run the 35 schools. Each school comprised 50 students. The schools provide education to child labourers up to Class V. Earlier, ` 100 per student was sanctioned as stipend and it was deposited in the joint account of the child and his/her mother. But subsequently the practice was stopped. In each school, two instructors, a clerk-cum-accountant and a peon-cum-cook were appointed to look after students and school activities. The Central Government sanctioned contingency funds which included salary of school staff. In addition, parent-teacher forums were formed for better functioning of the schools. But as the fund flow has stopped for one and a half years, the staff are disinclined to look after the schools. Sans stipend, child labourers have also stopped coming to the schools. Civil society functionaries alleged that they were not getting a single pie to run the schools. Recently, five of the schools were closed down. The NGO functionaries who ran the schools alleged that they had taken such a step as fund allotment was stopped. Other civil society organisations said schools run by them may face closure if the present situation continues. NCLP project director and district labour officer Laxmidhar Rath admitted that the schools were not receiving funds. Rath said he had received complaints in this regard and apprised the State authorities of it.
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