Pota Cabins - District Dantewada

Potacabin Potacabin Cabins Cabins of Dantewada : Secured Secured Dwellings of of Education
The Prolonged war like
situation caused in this Naxal affected
region due to the conflict between
Security Forces and the Maoists has
badly affected the quality and
continuity of education in the District
Dantewada. On one side Naxals are
cruelly thrashing the tendered dreams
of the children of learning and
progressing in their life by damaging
the school buildings. On the other
end due to the Naxal violence
schools are experiencing problems such as lack of teachers and other basic facilities. Under
this catastrophic situation administration had undertaken the task of providing quality
education to all the children by constructing temporary school buildings in place of the
conventional pakka school buildings. Made of Bamboo walls with tin or bamboo made
roof, these temporary school buildings are named as Pota Cabin (Portable Cabin). While the
Briskly shaping "Education City" in Jawanga village of Development Block Geedam is
establishing the identity of District in entire country; Future of the children is being cared for
in the Pota Cabins established in the interior remote villages of the District in a fearless and
qualitative atmosphere.
Residential and Non-
Residential Bridge Courses,
which are conducted under
the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan of
the Government of India
were stipulated to be run for
a maximum period of only 18
Months. After 18 months of
learning children of interior
villages of the District used to
get engaged in other
activities. When this matter
was rised infront of the Government of India with the support of Factual Data, Government
has converted these bridge courses into a permanent residential bridge courses; incidentally
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Dantewad happens to be one among those two District in the country where permanent
Bridge course are being run, the other District being the neighbouring Bijapur. Now
Children of interior villages are persuing their education from Class I to CLass VIII in these
residential Pota Cabins. Local villagers feel poisitve of these Pota Cabins as they consider
them useful for their children and they provide all possible assistance in running these Pota
Cabins in the interior villages of the District. Villagers of Hitameta near Barsoor expressed
their happiness when a Pota Cabin was inaugurated recently in their village and have felt
that it is a new beginning for the development of education in their area. They consider
these Pota Cabins as those important centres where their next generation will shape into a
literate and responsible citizen of this great nation.
At present 12 Pota Cabins are
operational in the Undevided Dantewada
District and 44 Pota Cabins are under
Construction. Around 6 thousand tribal
children of interior villages are shaping their
life in these 12 Pota Cabins. 4 Pota Cabins are
operational in the remote villages of Konta
Development Block, 2 Pota Cabins are located
in Chhindgarh Development Block, 4 Pota
Cabins are running in Development Block
Geedam and one each in Katekalyan and Kuwakonda Development Blocks.
Percentage of dropouts is very high in the District especially in Middle and High
School levels. Those children who do acquire education in the local primary schools
discontinue their further studies as they do not find next level of schooling nearer to their
villages. Economic conditions of the parents also contribute to an extent for the higher rate
of dropouts of the children, Parents do
consider their children as extra members
of earning, and they prefer to employ
them in collection of minor forest
produces like IMli, Mahua, Tora etc.
than sending them to schools, for
earning some extra money for the
family. Along with this villagers do not
even find themselves capable for
bearing the extra expenses that would
incur in sending their children to far away places for education. Establishment of Pota
Cabins had resolved many such problems. Providing Residential Education for the children
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of 8 to 10 surrounding villages had started spreading the light of education at villages.
Facilities that are provided in Pota Cabins have created positive interest and temptation for
the children towards Pota Cabins.
Being a highly LWE affected
District, Security Forces used to consider
permanent structures such as School
Buildings as their safer shelters for
continuing their searching and combating
operations against Naxals. Naxals have
targeted Ashra Shalas, Hostels and School
Buildings to avoid any safer hold for the
security forces and started damaging these
buildings which had created a new problem for the secured schools and education
institutions in the region. Due to all these resons one can see a steep dropout at middle to
high school levels, an earlier survey conducted by the administration had found that only
17 thousand 152 have been enrolled at 7 th and 8 th Standard where as 65 thousand 926
children have been recorded at Primary School levels. In such conditions Pota Cabins have
shaped into an idol medium of education for the children instilling in them confidence and
feeling of safer education.
Pota Pota Cabins Cabins run run in in Undevided Undevided District District of of Dantewada
Dantewada
Serial No. Development Block Place of Pota Cabin
1 Konta Dornapal, Errabore, Konta, Maraiguda
2 Geedam Kasoli, Bangapal, Karli, Hitameta
3 Chhindgarh Rokel, Pakela
4 Kuwakonda Kuwakonda
5 Katekalyan Gatam
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Pota Pota Cabins Cabins Under Under Construction Construction in in Undevided Undevided District District Dantewada
Dantewada
Serial No. Development Block Place of Pota Cabins
1 Sukma Korra, Gadiras, Murtonda, Sukma, Kerlapal, Burdi, Jhapra,
Sonakukanar, Ramaram.
2 Kuwakonda Palnar, Shyamgiri, Kuwakonda
3 Chhindgarh Chhindgarh, Permaras, Rokel, Pakela, Tongpal, Talnar
4 Dantewada 2 in Pataras, Metapal, Chitalur, Godre, Bhansi, Balood,
Tudparas, Ganjenar
5 Katekalyan Dhanikarka, Bengalur, Bhusaras, Mokhpal, Gatam
6 Konta Chintalnar, Polampalli, Chintagupha, Pedakurti
7 Geedam Hitameta, Pharaspal, Gumda, GUmargunda, 4 in Jawanga

In one Pota Cabin structure
made of Bamboo Mats and Iron Angles
500 children are being shelters and
provided qualitative education. Free of
cost education with all facilities and
study materials are being imparted to
the children from Class 1 st to Class 8 th
without causing any extra burden on
their parents, in Pota Cabins. Main
objective of establishing the Pota
Cabins is to ensure continuity of
education for the children from primary to middle class levels in the interior Naxal
Challendged Villages of the District.
Central Government has so far sanctioned permission for the construction of 56 Pota
Cabins in the undevided District, from year 2007-08 to till date. Around 4500 Children are
presently studying in 12 Pota Cabins capable of holding 6000 children. Assistance of Block
Education Officers, Circle Organizers, Teachers, village level Panch and Sarpanchs is being
mustered for wider campaigning among the villages to increasing enrollment in Pota Cabins.
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Rupees 750 /- is provided as Stipend for
the children studying in Pota Cabins.
Apart from Stipend children are
provided 2 pairs of Uniform, Night
Suites, Sports Dress, Shoes-Socs,
Chappal, Tie-Belt etc. are also being
provided free of cost to the children.
For linking the children to the outer
world and to widen their intellectual
horizons pota cabins are also provided
with Color Tele Visions, DVD Players,
Dish TVs and Compters, Sports material and Library books.
Health and Nutritious needs of the children is also being taken care in the Pota
Cabins. Nutrion rich daily menus are prepared and are strictly followed for providing
breaskfast, lunch and dinners in Pota Cabins. Quality Beds, Blankets and Mosquito Nets are
provided for the children in Pota Cabins. Apart from this all the Pota Cabins are periodically
visited by the Doctors and the Health Teams on once in a week basis for undertaking health
checkups of the children. Proper Electrification has been ensured in the Pota Cabins for the
convenience of the Children, Pota Cabins have also been provided with larger quantity of

solar powered table lamps to assist children in the event of any power breakups in nights.
Residential quarters for the teachers working in Pota Cabins are being brought up in the
Pota Cabin premises to ensure proper guidance and care for the children.
Teachers adopt new techniques of education according to the taste and interest of
the pupils, in Pota Cabins. In one such effort Administration is trying to develop Pota Cabin
Karli as Model Pota Cabin on pilot
basis, and management of this Pota
Cabin has been handed over to one
Delhi based NGO named Paras Paras Paras Paras India. India India India
This organization is trying to bring in
a new trend in education through
means of modern techniques and
scitific approach towards childrens
education, academic, intellectual as
well as physical development of the
child is equally considered important
by this organization, children are also
taught games, dances, dramas &
paintings along with the regular academic classes so that the positive energies of the child
are properly tapped and the children are encouraged towards positive thinking. Pota Cabin,
Karli is expected to become a source of inspiration for the teachers as well as the
administration for shaping the remaining Pota Cabins as successful institutions. In all the Pota
Cabins children are provided with ample scope of getting acquired with computers they are
also motivated to take up gardening in the open space available adjacent to the Pota Cabins
in which they themselves grow flowers and vegetables.
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Inorder to keep up
the continuity of education
of the children, Tribal
Welfare Department of the
State Government has also
sanctioned residential schools
in big numbers through out
the District. 232 such Ashram
Shalas and Hostels are being
run in the undevided District Dantewada for providing free education and residential
facilitie to the children. 17 thousand 794 children of Naxal affected villages are getting
educated in these residential schools and hostels as on date. 157 Ashram Shalas are beinf run

in District Dantewada among which 120 institutes are of Primary Level and 37 are of Middla
level. Among these Ashram Shalas and Hostels 112 institutes are being run for Girls and 45
institutes are being run exclusively for Boys. In these Ashram Shalas and Hostels 8526 Boys
and 5260 Girls are studying where as in Combined Ashram Shalas 175 students are
continuing their education.
All facilities are being made available for the children for persuing their education
from class 1 st to Post Graduation Levels. Best possible residential facilities are being provided
to the children in these Ashram
Shalas located in cities as well as
in Highly sensitive Naxal
villages. Rupees 650/- is being
provided as Student Stipend to
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the children who have come all
the way from the interior Naxal
infected villages to the cities for
studying, along with free residential facilities, apart from this students of 3 rd standard to 8 th
standard are further provided with Rupees 250/- for 10 academic months on Rupees 25/-
per month basis. This Stipend amount comes in handy for the children to coope up with
their daily needs. Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Boys studying in Class 6 th to Class 8 th are
provided Rupees 300/- for 10
academic months on Rupees
30/- per month basis where as
Girl students of ST/SC are
provided with Rupees 400/-
for 10 academic months on
Rupees 40/- per month basis.
In the same way ST/SC boys
studying in Class 9 th and 10 th
are being provided with a
stipend of Rupees 400 /- for
10 academic months at
Rupees 40/- per month and ST/SC girls of the same standard are provided a stipend amount
of Rupees 500/- for 10 academic months at Rupees 50/- per month. Similarly boys
belonging to other backward castes who are studying in classes 6 th to 8 th are provided a
student stipend of Rupees 250/- for 10 academic months and girl students of the same
standard are provided a Stipend of Rupees 300/- for 10 academic months.

Tribal Welfare Department has also established 75 Pre Metric and Post Metric
Student Hostels in DIstrict Dantewada. 3833 Students are staying in these Hostels and
getting themselves
educated. There are 60
Pre Metric Hostels and 15
Post Metric Hostels in the
District Dantewada. Out
of these 75 Student
Hostels 49 Hostels are of
Boys hostel in which
2430 students are staying
and 1403 Girl Students
are staying in 26 Girl Hostels. In Pre Metric Hostels Residential Facilities are provided for the
students belonging to Class 6 th to 10 th . Rupees 650/- per month student stipend is provided
to all the children staying in these hostles for meeting their expenses of daily needs and
other essential items. Apart from this these studenta are also provided with extra stipend by
the State Government. Boys belonging to Scheduled Tribe/Caste who reside in Pre Metric
Hostels are provided Rupees 300/- as annual stipend where as Girls of same category are
provided Rupees 400/- as annual stipend. Students of Post Metric Hostel studying in Classes
1oth to 12 th are provided Rupees 200/- as monthly stipend for food expenses. Apart from
this students of Scheduled Caste / Tribe are provided with Rupees 380/- monthly stipend.
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With the intention of
providing hasselfree
environment to the students
so as to encourage them to
complere their studies, Post
Metric Hostels located in
different parts of the District
have been made secured and
well furnished. Scheduled
Caste/Tribe students studying
for any graduation classes are
provided Rupees 800/- for
admission in the first year and Rupees 250/- for admission in the second year and Rupees
200/- for admission in the third year. Similarly Rs. 1200 Student Stipend is provided for
every student who stays in these hostels and study Engineering or Medical Studies. Students
studying in Graduation are getting Rupees 820/- per month where as Students of Post
Graduate are being pais Rupees 550/- as monthly stipend.

S.No.
Details Details of of the the Ashram Ashram Shalas Shalas being being Run Run by by the the Tribal Tribal Welfare Welfare Department
Department
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Development
Block
Number of
Ashrams Type of Institute Students Enrollment
Primary Middle Boys Girls Combined Boys Girls Comb.
1 Dantewada 9 1 7 3 0 720 350 0
2 Geedam 16 15 16 12 3 1113 1245 175
3 Kuwakonda 8 3 7 4 0 1227 300 0
4 Katekalyan 14 3 9 8 0 715 200 0
5 Sukma 23 7 23 7 0 1651 709 0
6 Chhindgarh 27 7 27 7 0 2089 1564 0
7 Konta 23 1 23 1 0 1011 892 0
S.No.
TOTAL 120 37 112 42 3 8526 5260 175
Details Details of of the the Hostels Hostels Hostels Being Being Being Run Run by by the the Tribal Tribal Welfare Welfare Department
Department
Development
Block
Number of Hstels Type of Hostel Students Enrollment
Pre Matric Post Matric Boys Girls Boys Girls
1 Dantewada 12 3 12 3 600 150
2 Geedam 11 2 8 5 411 137
3 Kuwakonda 7 2 5 4 173 235
4 Katekalyan 4 2 4 2 174 106
5 Sukma 7 2 5 4 220 240
6 Chhindgarh 9 2 7 4 426 282
7 Konta 10 2 8 4 426 253
TOTAL 60 15 49 26 2430 1403