For one year,kids’ homes in city went uninspected

The government has been claiming that the Arya orphanage had refused inspections as it was not registered under the JJ Act.

The RTI query was filed by NGO Pratidhi,and replies from superintendents of two of Delhi government’s largest institutions for homeless girls stated that there was no inspection in 2010.

The superintendent of Balika Griha Pratham (Girls’ Home-I) in Nirmal Chhaya complex said that “there has been no inspection by the inspection committee under Section 35 of the Juvenile Justice Act,2000,from January to December 2010”.

The reply stated: “No constitution of inspection committee is under process.”

The superintendent of Balika Griha Dwiteeya (Girls’ Home- II),in the same complex,submitted a similar reply.

Project coordinator of Believer’s Church Children’s Home in Dwarka said: “No inspection committees visited in 2010.”

District Social Welfare Officer of North District P C Sharma,in his reply,said while no inspections have been carried out in the period in his district,“this office will plan a visit in the future as early as possible”.

The vice-chairman of the managing committee of Bachhon Ka Ghar,a registered orphanage in Daryaganj,said in the reply: “Only Muslim orphan children are admitted in the orphanage,as per procedure of the orphanage.” This is a violation of the JJ Act,which does not recognise any special minority privileges for children’s homes.

Other homes like Place of Safety in Majnu Ka Tila,Observation Home for Boys-I and II,and Special Home for Boys,also said no inspections were conducted from January to December 2010.

Under Section 35 of the JJ Act,the government has to appoint an inspection committee to visit the homes,at least once in three months. Under Section 62,state advisory boards have to be instituted to oversee activities of the committees.

Minister for Women and Child Development Kiran Walia told Newsline,“Observation homes might not have been inspected as they are not within the ambit of the JJ Act,but all other homes are regularly inspected. We have had problems with Bachhon Ka Ghar,since they claim to be a minority institution. But we are regularly conducting inspections in all other homes.”

Anisha Ghosh from Pratidhi,who filed the RTI,said: “We took up the matter several times with the department during the course of filing the RTI. If they had acted swiftly,tragedies like the Arya orphanage could have been avoided.”