With incidents of the parents disowning their children rising in the State, the Government has decided to take responsibility for bringing up the unwanted children.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said this after launching a scheme called Palna at Government-run Nari Balika Niketan and Nari Niketan at Kedarpuram on Saturday. Palna will be set up at several places in Dehradun district where the parents can leave their children if they desire so to the care of the State Government. The Chief Minister also launched a training programme christened ‘Nai Zindigi’ that is meant to develop skills of the mentally ill women or girls who are living in Nari Niketan.
Rawat said that Palna scheme has been started from Nari Niketan, Kedarpuram where a palna will be kept at the main gate which is fitted with a bell. later, this scheme will be extended in other parts of the State, he said.
Sounding alarmed over increasing cases of female foeticide in Uttarakhand, CM said the State Government would do everything to stop this inhumane practice. “Instead of going for female foeticide or dumping the unwanted children in the dustbins and the like, the parents should leave such children at Palna. The State Government would take full care of such unfortunate children. They would be made to feel that far from being unwanted, they are true daughters of Uttarakhand,” he said.
After inaugurating the training programme “Nai Zindigi”, he said that mentally retarded women and girls will be trained there on how to make environment-friendly incense sticks from the wasted flowers.
“Our experiences say that even the mentally ill persons are capable of doing something constructive. The State will utilise their potential in full. The items to be produced by them will be sold in the markets and the money thus earned will be spent for their welfare,” CM Rawat said.
On the occasion, Khanpur MlA Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, principal secretary Radha Raturi, secretary Bhupinder Kaur Aulakh were among others present.