Jharkhand asks NGOs, Kerala Govt to fund fare for 120 children’s return journey
The Government of Jharkhand, which spends crores of rupees every year on VVIP choppers and chartered planes, perhaps cares less about children of the State as it has to depend on aids and charity for performing its benevolent duty to protect and bring rescued trafficking victims back home.
After a day-long toil on Saturday, the officials of the State Government, including those in the rescue mission in Kerala, are now almost sure that they would be able to bring back the 120 kids allegedly trafficked from Jharkhand to some orphanages in Kerala by Wednesday.
Ironically enough, the 12-member rescue team, including officials of the State Government and NGOs, had to arrange funds from NGOs and seek financial help from Government of Kerala to make payments for booking of two railway bogies that would carry the 120 kids back to Jharkhand.
According to sources, the trouble in the return journey of the kids and the team began when it was revealed that they had to pay around Rs 10 lakh to the Railway authorities for booking of two special coaches that would be attached to a train to Jharkhand. When the State Government was contacted for the required amount, there was virtually no response, they added.
The Government instead of releasing funds on an emergency basis called upon NGOs, including the UNICEF and Save the Children, to fund the return journey for the time being, revealed sources. The Government, however, promised to reimburse the funds later, they said.
“The Government (Jharakhand Govt) may not be able to release funds at a short notice so they (Officials) have requested us to pay the requisite amount and then they will return it later. We are awaiting a response from local politicians here also if they give us some funds we would be able to find out a solution,” said an NGO official requesting anonymity.
“The situation got so worse at Kerala that the paranoid rescue team members had to seek help from Social Welfare Minister Annapurna Devi and CM Hemant Soren, who somehow managed to ‘arrange’ the funds,” he said.
Although no official confirmation could be obtained as to how the funds were managed, it was revealed through sources that the funds were paid by the Government of Kerala and a prominent international NGO that was requested by the State Government to pay the rest of the amount.
Meanwhile, the Finance Secretary of the Kerala Government announced late in the evening that the Kerala Government was ready to bear the expenses for return of the kids but it would bear the general fare and not of AC coaches, said a district official of Palakkad in Kerala. They would also not bear the expenses of the officials accompanying the kids as they have already spent about Rs 5 lakh, he added.
Earlier, State labour Commissioner Manish Ranjan who is leading the 12-member rescue team in Kerala said, “They are coming in Air-Conditioned coaches of Patna-Ernakulum Express on Monday. Governments of Jharkhand and Kerala will be sharing the bogie reservation amount ranging around Rs 10 lakh. NGO Save the Children has come forward in extending funding help to the Jharkhand Government. Earlier the amount was Rs 8 lakh since the children were supposed to come till Dhanbad. Now they will be dropped at Jasidih Railway Station on Wednesday. However, Palakkad DCM will be confirming us the exact bogie-fare amount by tonight.”
State Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Children Annapurna Devi confirming the development said, “Chief Minister Hemant Soren has spoken to the labour Commissioner regarding the money and other facilities required in bringing the children to their home. Things are being lined up. These children are to be brought in train for which a particular amount of money is needed.”