(Mukundan C. Menon)

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb. 21: The 15th Report of Kerala Legislative Committee for Welfare of Schedule Castes, headed by C. P. Balan Vaidyar, suggested the government to take immediate steps to recognise the Nursing Course at the Junior Public Health Centre. Kollam, meant for Dalit students. The report also recommended to increase the pocket-money to Rs. 150, lumpsum grant to Rs. 1,000, apart from giving the entire food expenses of the students.

The Committee, in particular, suggested that all institutions established for the Dalits should be provided with all basic facilities, which include appointing necessary staff and allotment of telephones with STD connection. Besides, the Report also suggested to fill the vacancies of tutors only with sufficiently qualified hands, giving admission to all seats, and to sustain the school at Sasthamkotta by constructing new building there.

The Report favoured stringent action against the Principal of the Junior Public Health Nursing Centre at Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram, for committing serious lapses of not taking classes, and for not depositing in any account the huge amounts collected from students as mess fees and advance for books. It took strong exceptions on the practice of making students to cook food and to purchase goods from the markets, instead of initiating appropriate actions against the cook for dereliction of duty. Adequate security measures should be taken to prevent outsiders' entry into the hostel. The Report also said that only the copy of the SSLC Book is required to prove one's caste.