ROURKELA: Three minor siblings were placed with a child care institution (CCI) at Rourkela after their father produced them before the child welfare committee (CWC) stating he was not able to feed and tend to them.
CWC chairperson Sami Oram said the man of Balishankara block accompanied by some villagers appeared before the CWC on June 23 and expressed his inability to take care of his five-year-old son and two daughters - aged eight and 10 - born out of his first marriage. Despite counseling, the man surrendered his three children and the CWC took their custody.
She revealed that the father, working as daily labourer informed the CWC that four years ago his wife eloped and ever since he was finding it hard to take care of his three children. He subsequently remarried and from his second wife, he has a child too. Oram said the man admitted it was becoming difficult for him to take care of his four children and hence decided to surrender the three children born from his first wife.
Oram said the man had not availed Aadhaar service for himself or any of his children but with CWC’s intervention, the local ASHA worker took steps to get dates of birth of the two girl children for Aadhar enrolment. Details of the child are getting ascertained for Aadhaar enrolment.
CWC member Kishore Prakash Panda said a complaint was received at the 1098 toll free number of Child Helpline about the poor plight of the children.
When a Child Helpline team reached the house, the father requested the team to take custody of his three children. Since they are concerned about the welfare and interests of the children, the CWC did not dig deep into the personal conduct and financial status of the man, he added.
Sources said the man works as a daily worker and he has got only a voter identity card. In absence of his Aadhaar enrolment he is not entitled to ration or job card.
Sundargarh sub-collector Tejaswini Behera said the man recently applied for Aadhaar card and till his enrolment gets linked for PDS benefits, provision for free ration has been ensured. He would soon be enrolled for other government schemes and counseled to take back his children, she added.
