Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangsha, Assam has registered a complaint against Topcem Cement and Rotary Club of Guwahati Luit for denying rights to access toilets to people with disabilities in a government school in Guwahati.
Topcem Cement, on January 28, as part of its CSR programme, had constructed a toilet block at Arya Vidyapeeth Higher Secondary & Multipurpose School in Guwahati.
The construction of the toilet block by Topcem Cement was under an initiative of the Rotary Club of Guwahati Luit.
Unfortunately, the toilet block constructed by Topcem Cement has no facility for students and teachers with disabilities.
Nripen Malakar, secretary of Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangsha, Assam, on Monday met Debeswar Bora, Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, and registered the complaint against Topcem Cement and Rotary Club of Guwahati Luit.
“We were surprised to see the new toilet block constructed by Topcem Cement and Rotary Club of Guwahati Luit at Arya Vidyapeeth Higher Secondary School,” Malakar said.
The secretary of Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangsha, Assam said it is surprising that the Topcem Cement management and members of Rotary Club of Guwahati Luit did not bother to show little respect to people with disabilities while constructing the toilet block.
“As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, it is now mandatory to make toilets accessible to people with disabilities,” Malakar said.
Malakar requested the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities to initiate immediate steps against Topcem Cement management and members of Rotary Club of Guwahati Luit.
Abhishek Chakraborty, assistant general manager of Topcem Cement told Northeast Now that he is not aware of the complaint lodged by the Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangsha, Assam.
Topcem Cement is also being blamed for converting a classroom (Room No 12) in the middle of academic block in Arya Vidyapeeth Higher Secondary School in Guwahati.
Topcem Cement, which is an enterprise of the Lohia Group, headed by Kailash Chandra Lohia, could have spent more money to construct a brand new toilet complex in Arya Vidyapeeth Higher Secondary School with accessible toilets for the differently-abled people.
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Instead, the Topcem Cement management, constructed the toilet block inside the 40-year-old Assam-type classroom by erecting three separating walls, which were only six feet high.
It was also reported that the Topcem Cement management and members of Rotary Club of Guwahati Luit did not inform the Assam Education Department while constructing the toilet facility in Arya Vidyapeeth Higher Secondary School.
Buli Gogoi, Inspector of Schools of Kamrup (Metro) said she did not know that a classroom in Arya Vidyapeeth Higher Secondary School was being converted into a toilet.