Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Ranchi, wrote a letter to the director of Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), DK Saxena, to reconsider the decision of cancelling the registration of Maharshi Valmiki Viklang Evam Anath Seva Ashram (MVVEASA), a shelter home for boys in Ranchi.
MVVEASA is among 16 shelter homes across the State which had to lose their registration after a report was submitted to the State Women, Child Development and Social Securities Department by Jharkhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (JSCPCR) recommending shuting down of various homes for not following the norms of Juvenile Justice Act.
CWC Ranchi set up a special Bench on Monday at the shelter home following recommendation of the department to shift or release the children living in this home.
CWC chairperson, Rupa Kumari said, “A total of 36 children are living in the home at present. We called their guardians today so that we can send the children back home. As most of the children living here are orphans, their close relatives like grandparents or uncles and aunts came to claim the children.”However, on enquiring further, the bench of magistrates found that most of the guardians were from extremely poor family backgrounds and wouldn’t be able to take care of the child at home. “Some guardians told us clearly that if they take the child back home, they will have to employ them somewhere to earn a source of income. We cannot let that happen,” Kumari said.
CWC members informed The Pioneer that the children living in the home are getting good facilities and it would be unwise to shut the home down.
Member Tanushree Sarkar said, “The children here are getting good education and if we shift them to another boy’s shelter home, they would not be able to complete their education as the education facility there is not systemised. Also, a few boys living here are differently abled and they are getting good facilities here which would not be available elsewhere.”
CWC is writing a letter to the ICPS director to reconsider the direction of shutting down this home. “We are writing two letters, one on the behalf of committee and another on the behalf of guardians of the children living in this home which would be signed by each of the guardian, requesting the department to reconsider its direction,” Kumari said.
Of the 16 shelter homes across the State, which have to be shut down, five are from Ranchi. “Three out of the five are only on papers, only two had children living in them. The children living at Nrimal Hriday have already been shifted to another home. MVVEASA is the only home among the five which still have children,” CWC chairperson said.
Meanwhile, CWC has directed the local Sikidiri police station to do a follow up of the shelter home every day till a decision in its regard is taken.
