BERHAMPUR: The Ganjam district administration on Thursday asked an illegal shelter home to shut down within two months. However, time extension to Harobina School in Hillpatna here has sparked off criticism from different quarters.
As per reports, the administration had identified six illegal shelter homes in Chhatrapur and Berhampur following a hue and cry over sexual abuse allegations against Good News India Dream Centre in Dhenkanal in the first week of December. During raids, the administration had sealed three homes and issued notices to close down six others in Berhampur.
Out of six shelter homes, Harobina School in Hillpatna here was found to be in an unhygienic condition and without required registration. The school has 47 children, including 27 girls. The team, comprising District Child Protection Officer (DCPO), CWC and revenue officials had asked the owner of the home to close down immediately. Though the shelter home officials had assured to shut it down by December 20, it was not done.
After the deadline, DCPO and CWC officials went to the home on Thursday and asked them to close it down. However, Executive Director of the home Jyotshnarani Patra appealed them to provide time extension in the wake of the annual examination of the inmates.
The DCPO, Subodh Sadangi said, “In the larger interest of the children, we allowed time extension after consultation with higher authorities. The details of the other five homes functioning illegally in the city have already been placed before the Collector for action.”
Senior lawyer and member of District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) T K Reddy described the district administration’s decision as illegal. As per the Central Government norms and subsequent directives of the judiciary, the shelter homes running illegally should be closed down immediately keeping in view the safety of the inmates, he added.
Patra said, “No Government official had asked us for registration. However, after the notification of the Juvenile Justice Act, we had requested them to give us time till March 31 to complete the process. Steps are being taken to hand over the inmates to their parents.”