Bhubaneswar: National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) member Yashwant Jain Thursday slammed the Odisha government for “showing no seriousness” on the safety and security of children residing in various shelter homes and hostels in the state.
Jain lamented that the state government did not implement the recommendations of the Commission to initiate certain steps including installation of CCTVs on the premises of shelter homes and hostels.
It may be mentioned here that Jain was here in the city to monitor and observe the functioning of various shelter homes and hostels in the state in the wake of the reports of alleged sexual harassment of girl children in a shelter home in Dhenkanal district.
Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi December 8 ordered a probe into the sexual abuse of minor girls in a shelter home in Dhenkanal district and directed the NCPCR to submit a report about their functioning.
Addressing newsmen after a meeting with the state government officials, police personnel and officials of the Education department, Jain said nine teams of NCPCR along with officials of state government, Bal Bikash Samiti SCPCR, police and other officials would examine the functioning of around 57 shelter homes in next two days.
The team, he said, would see whether the shelter homes and the hostels are registered or not, and whether the children are given facilities as per the Juvenile Justice Act 2015 and POCSO Act.
Jain said the Commission had also provided the guidelines to the state for the purpose “but the state government neither developed its own guidelines nor implemented the guidelines provided”. If needed we would soon issue notice to the chief secretary asking him to clarify why they have not been implemented so far, he added.
The NCPCR had recommended to install CCTVs at shelter homes, hostels, sensitise the inmates about the Juvenile Justice and POCSO acts, and train the officials and to appoint high level officers to inquire into the allegations of child abuse or any injustice done to children.
“A year has passed since then but it has not been implemented by the Odisha government,” Jain said.
The Commission directed the government to map all hostels run by religious and private institutions to prevent abuse of children.
Jain said the background of all employees including the manager should be thoroughly checked to ensure that no injustice is done to the children.
Replying to a question, he said the commission would also inquire into the alleged transfer of foreign funds to the organisation running the shelter home in Dhenkanal and other places of the state and also inquire into the allegations of conversion.
The state government had closed 22 hostels run by Good News India after reports about sexual abuse and conversion in its Dhenkanal unit surfaced.
Around three people, including the chief of the organisation, were arrested in connection with the incident and the children staying in the hostels were either adjusted in other institutions or sent to their homes.