The Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR), which visited Gumudumaha village in Kandhamal district to investigate deaths of the five tribals, including a 15-month-old child on Wednesday, said on Thursday that the village has as many as 15 children who have lost their parents in the so-called anti-Maoist operations.
“We interacted with the families of the deceased and asked them about the steps the administration has taken to rehabilitate their children. We found that there are 15 children, who have lost their parents,” commission member Sandhyarani Pradhan told reporter here.
The two-member commission led by Rajalaxmi Das had a meeting with district Collector Raghu G, District Welfare Officer (DWO), District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Chairman and discussed about rehabilitation of the helpless children of Gumudumaha.
“Acting on our directive, the district administration has taken steps to rehabilitate the 15 children. While 14 children, all under 10 years’ age, are to be lodged in the welfare hostels, the remaining 14-month-old child would be kept in the Banabasi Ashram at Baliguda,” Pradhan said.
She said the commission would ask the State Government to meet the other requirements of these children when needed in future.