Things turning serious at the State-run Balika Niketan in the city with human trafficking charges being raised, the security at the home comprises a woman home guard sans any arms and training to cope with emergencies. Sounding concerned over the ‘security’ at the shelter home, head of Uttarakhand Commission for Protection of Child Rights (UCPCR) Yogendra Khanduri said that security should be reviewed and steps should be taken to step up security.
He said that serious lapses were found at the home recently despite a woman home guard being posted there. “The security setup has not seen any change as the administration has appointed a home guard at it replacing her predecessor. Things should be reviewed and the security should be revamped,” he said. He further mentioned the escape of some inmates of the home and the subsequent letter the commission sent to the additional secretary, asking him to submit a detailed report on the escape and also about steps being taken to stop recurrence of incidents. “But no reply having come so far, we would soon send a reminder about the same,” he added.
Director, social welfare department, Yogendra Yadav said that several lapses, including CCTV camera being dysfunctional when the five inmates of Balika Niketan escaped after jumping a wall, had found their places in the report submitted by the three- member inquiry committee comprising Anurag Sankhdhar, Vandana Singh and Meena Bisht.
He said that he has recently written a letter to state administration, seeking a high- level inquiry headed by district magistrate and additional SP into the matter. “Nothing has happened so far,” he said.
Observers opine that high level security arrangement should be put into place at Balika Niketan with several lapses having been exposed. Interestingly, no guard was at the home during the night that saw escape of five girls. What is more, the CCTV camera installed in the home got dysfunctional for a few minutes when the inmates jumped the wall to escape.