Figure of 25,000 tribal children studying in KISS Tribal School is Fictitious

Figure of 25,000 tribal children studying in KISS Tribal School of Achyut Samant  is  Fictitious – Why ?

Dear friends

Every time, Sri Achyut Samant, founder of KISS and KISS Tribal School claims that more than 25000 tribal children are studying in the school. They are also provided education, food and hostel facility free of cost. But interestingly whenever RTI Application is filed to the PIO, office of KISS, Bhubaneswar to get information with motive to verify authenticity of information as claimed by Sri Samant, the authority immediately rejected the application on the ground that they do not  come under RTI Act. 

To find out the exact figure of the children studying in KISS tribal school, we have filed several times RTI Application to Department of School and Mass Education, Department of SC and ST Welfare, Govt. of Odisha ,   statutory monitoring bodies  for   welfare of tribal children  and tribal schools.  These Departments   do not have any figure about number of children of KISS school. These Departments forwarded our RTI Applications to the Principal of KISS Tribal school who ultimately denied  to provide the information.

 Even, Board of Secondary Education, Cuttack , a statutory  body  of Govt. of Odisha  for conducting examination of matriculation , do not have information about KISS Tribal School. It  is to be examined  how the children of KISS  School  are  appearing 10^th Class exam. Conducted  under BSE, Cuttack.

As KISS  Tribal School  has housed  the tribal children in need of care and protection, it needs to be recognised by Women and Child Development Department  under Juvenile Justice Act (JJA).  But  as per report of Child Welfare Committee,  Khurda, KISS tribal School is yet to be recognised  by the Department.  The State Govt.  has also not taken any steps  against KISS Authority for violation of JJ Act.

However, we  have filed RTI Application to the PIO, Dept. of School and Mass Education, Govt. of Odisha  seeking information about details of NOC granted to KISS tribal School  as per Right to Education Act,2009. On 6.7.17, the PIO , office of Block Education Officer, Bhubaneswar  has provided the  information along with two Field verification Report  which is required prior to granting NOC to any institution. From 2015-16 verification Report, it was found that KISS tribal School  has 11,851 children i.e.,  8173  children ( from Class-1 to Class-V) and 3678  children from ( Class-6 to Class-8).  Similarly,  In 2016-17 the Field verification Report  shows that KISS school has  14,804 i.e., 8956 from ( from Class-1 to Class-V), 5849 from ( Class-6 to Class-8).

It shows  how Sri Samant is disseminating false and fabricated  information about strength of KISS TrIbal School.

Srikant Pakal

M-9338455092

Date- 4.1.18