The Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) has sent letters to the 46 government-run shelters homes and other such shelters run by the non-governmental organisations, directing them to tighten the security and maintain proper facilities. The commission has issued the letters in view of the Muzzafarpur (Bihar) case of alleged sexual exploitation of 34 minor inmates along with the report recently submitted by Uttarakhand’s Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Justice Juvenile Board (JJ Board) about the poor condition of the women and children shelter homes in Dehradun. The commission has asked the authorities concerned to tighten the system in the shelter homes and submit an overall report of the facilities provided in the shelter homes.
Informing about it, the SCPCR chairperson Usha Negi said, “The report has shown loopholes in the functioning of the shelter homes in Dehradun regarding which we have issued letters not only to the officials of the facilities in Dehradun but to those managing such facilities across the State. There are a total 46 government run shelter homes in the State and we have written to every shelter home, directing its officials to tighten the security and spruce up facilities. Along with this, we have also sought all relevant data from every shelter home.”
She further said, “We have received a complaint from Hariom Ashram at Kadwapani in Dehradun which is an orphanage in the city. The complaints are about the poor condition of the children living in the orphanage regarding which we have written to the Ashram. We have also given the information to the district magistrate and under his direction a team will be formed for proper investigation of this facility.”
Focusing on the new steps taken by the commission for proper monitoring, she said, “We will keep a regular check on the shelter homes so that no such issues come up and children or women living in these shelter homes do not feel unsafe.”
When asked about the poor condition of shelter homes and the need for such facilities in the State, she said that construction and establishment of shelter homes is not under the purview of the commission. “But we do have the information that some non-governmental organisations want to initiate steps in this direction. We will take care of providing the needed help to such interested parties and will monitor the facilities regularly.”