By Express News Service CHENNAI: The members of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) visited the Perumbakkam resettlement colony as a part of the review and consultation, on Saturday. However, the residents alleged that the members failed to meet them and left with a closed-door meeting instead. In December last, a fact-finding team led by R G Anand from NCPCR, visited the colony and noted the issues. The residents said that even after eight months, there was not much improvement. Some of the issues submitted to the NCPCR were students being forced to defecate in the open, no adequate water in school, no doctor in the primary health centre and increasing the number of Anganwadis. Speaking to TNIE, R G Anand said, “After a series of complaints, we carried out the fact-finding of the issues and submitted the report to the commission. "Soon after that, the Slum Clearance board has taken up the matter. More anganwadis had been built but are not functional. About the open defecation, we spoke to the principals and headmasters concerned and understood that they had no other option with the city running out of water.” TNIE published a report on June 29, about children in Perumbakkam government high school being forced to defecate in the open since there is insufficient water. The children were also forced to fetch water from a 35-foot unmanned well which could turn dangerous. One of the residents, Lakshmi Narayanani said that the children were fetching water from the unmanned well and were forced to defecate in the open since the teachers close the toilets for themselves. A resident said that there had been no increase in anganwadis and there were still no doctors in the primary health centre that is in a completely isolated place. “Both, the population of phase one and phase two can reach neither the hospital nor the police station as it’s not easily accessible,” said the resident. A senior police officer said while the Slum Clearance board had not approached the department for a separate police station inside the resettlement colony, there was a need for it since the population was huge in number. Speaking about the allegation that the NCPCR did not meet the residents, R G Anand said that most of the people were not in town and they need not visit the public for a review and consultation meeting. Questioned if the issues were sent to the government in writing, Anand said that the government had accepted their petition and had promised to act immediately.

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