Girls of state-run residential schools abused when they were on leave: Minister

Bhubaneswar: Three minor inmates of state-run residential schools have been sexually exploited this year, Odisha minister Jagannath Saraka told the assembly on Friday, insisting that the girls were abused when they had gone home on leave.

Speaker S N Patro, on July 2, had asked the minister to issue a statement in the House after Congress member Narasingha Mishra and BJP MLA Bishnu Charan Sethi, referring to newspaper reports, alleged that the girls in state-run hostels were sexually abused.

Mishra had also said that attempts were being made to suppress the matter.

"Two school girls from Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanj districts were subjected to sexual abuse during their stay in native places. In another case, a girl was found to be pregnant after she came back from her summer vacation," the ST & SC development, minorities & backward classes welfare minister said.