Taking note of the visit of the National Women's Commission team to crisis-ridden Nari Niketan apparently spurred by the State BJP leadership's initiative to nail the State Government on the sensitive issue, Chief Minister Harish Rawat convened a meeting with the senior officers at his residence at Bijapur guest house on Monday evening and instructed them to review things at the State-run shelter home on a priority basis.
He asked them to constitute a joint committee for inspection of the home. He stressed on the shortcomings being promptly identified and the loopholes plugged to ensure that the disagreeable things would not recur there.
The Chief Minister said that the committee should comprise representatives from media houses and political parties aside from some others. The committee should embark on the inspection drive right after the Republic Day. He said despite the State Government having taken steps by way of corrective measures, a lot more needs to be done to put into the right place a mechanism that would make it impossible for similar sordid happenings to befall the home.
Secretary Dr Bhupinder Kaur Aulakh has been asked to inspect Nari Niketans and juvenile rehabilitation centres based in Haldwani and Almora. The CM asked the officials to regularly inspect the deserted buildings of the Government-run hospital at Bhawali to ensure that they are best made use of.
During the meeting, Aulakh apprised the Chief Minister of the fact that 49 posts which have been lying vacant in several all-woman shelter homes across the State are being outsourced.
This would help to ensure that the functioning of these homes is not affected by the staff crunch.
"Meanwhile, we have conducted blood test of 117 inmates of Nari Niketan based in Dehradun. Acting on the blood report, we are providing them with iron-rich food items and other minerals to increase their hemoglobin level adequately. Besides, we are ensuring complete sanitation within the home's premises. We are also addressing other matters like power, water, health and security on a priority basis. For the deaf and dumb inmates, we have appointed experts who can interact with them in their sign language and to whom the inmates can confide," the officer said.
Among those present at the meeting included Additional Chief Secretary S Raju and Principal Secretary Radha Raturi.