Uttarakhand Women’s Commission chairperson Sarojini Kaintura said on Thursday that things are now improving fast at Nari Niketan. There is nothing to worry with the administration having taken adequate steps to bring things back to normalcy, she said, while admitting that there must have been some problems at the home leading to a number of inmates being taken ill and admitted at Doon Hospital.
Kaintura accused BJP leaders and those from other political parties for playing politics over the issues haunting the home. “It is wrong to cry for a CBI inquiry into the alleged rape/ abortion of a physically challenged inmate of Nari Niketan. This is meant to hog limelight,” she added.
She said that she had already demanded inquiry once the matter had come to light. “An inquiry is being done by a committee constituted by the district administration. The Opposition leaders had better wait for the report of the committee to come out,” she said.
The chairperson said senior department officers and even the political leaders should inspect the home now and then to ensure things look up there. “We, on our part, have decided to conduct inspection of the shelter home every fortnight to take stock of things and ensure measures being taken if there is anything amiss,” she added.
Kaintura further said that she along with other commission members and government officers had recently visited the shelter home and submitted a report to the State Government. “With the direction of Chief Minister Harish Rawat, two water purifiers, heaters, blankets, shoes, caps and other required items have been provided to all the inmates. Now, a doctor, two nurses and two women constables have been deputed there too,” she said.
Amita lohani, vice- president of State Women Commission, said that she had inspected Nari Niketan on Wednesday and interacted with the inmates.
“Some of them who have families wished to return home. They sounded emotional. They are, however, happy over the recent measures taken by the CM to improve things there,” she said, adding that the commission would help them though legal and other necessary means if they are insistent on leaving the home.
lohani said she had pointed out the mess prevailing in the home in one of her earlier visits. “I asked the authority to take corrective measures too. Had they acted on my instruction things would not have come to such a sorry pass,” she added.