The Government of Maharashtra has been directed by the Bombay High Court to respond to a petition taken suo motu. This is regarding the woe of a group of girls who have to use a boat to cross a dam and then walk through a forest to reach their school.
It was last month that a division bench headed by Justice PB Varale took cognizance of a news article on how children hailing from Khirvandi village of Maharashtra's Satara district have to use a boat to cross Koyna Dam. After this, they face the ordeal of walking through a forest patch. All this is done on a daily basis just so that they are able to reach their school.
On Friday, February 18, the high court appointed advocate Sanjeev Kadam to assist the court. It even directed the advocate to file a PIL (public litigation interest) on the same. It also informed the state government to file its reply affidavit. It is after three weeks that the matter will be heard, the court stated.
Last month, when the bench took cognizance of the issue, it had noted that only when a safe environment is provided for girls can the aim behind the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme be achieved in the true sense. The court had also taken note of the fact that the girls ferry their own boat from one end of the dam to the other and from there on, walk through a forest patch that is quite dense. Only then do they reach their school.