RAYAGADA: The shelter home of Good News India Dream Centre at Rayagada was shut down by the district administration on Thursday.The shelter home, functioning since 2009, had 76 inmates of which 60 were from Rayagada district. The inmates were handed over to their guardians after its closure. The facility was inspected by the officials of District Child Protection Unit and Child Welfare Committee following allegations of sexual harassment of inmates at Good News India Dream Centre branch in Dhenkanal.
Rayagada Collector Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar said efforts are on to admit the inmates in various schools of the district so that their studies are not hampered.She said the students from Classes I to IX will be admitted in various residential sevashram schools while those from Classes X to XII will be rehabilitated in child care institutions (CCIs) across the district. The Collector said the process will be completed in a month.
Sources said the district administration decided to close the shelter home after inspecting the facility. It had come to light that no record of the inmates was being maintained by the care takers. The in-charge of the shelter home had expressed his inability to look after its management.