In a partial relief to Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) across the State, the High Court of Karnataka has extended till July 15 the deadline to complete the door-to-door survey to identify children eligible for school admission under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
“In the prevailing situation of COVID-19 engulfing the entire globe and even the rural areas of the State, where the direction in the show-cause notices is to be complied, it would be impossible for the PDOs to do a door-to-door survey and identify and register children...” the court observed.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order while disposing of a petition filed by the Karnataka State Panchayat Development Officers’ Welfare Association, Dakshina Kannada district unit, Mangaluru.
The petitioner-association had questioned the notices issued by the government to its members asking why action should not be initiated against them for failing to complete the door-to-door survey by April 15.
Though the court did not interfere with the show-cause notices, as it is for the respective PDOs to reply to the allegations levelled against them, it said that given the COVID-19 situation, July 15 should be treated as the deadline to complete the survey, not April 15.
