Journalism of Courage
Women & Child Welfare Dept conducts random check,finds it housed unwed pregnant women
The Women and Child Welfare Department on Tuesday issued a showcause notice to the Shreevatsa unit of the Society For Friends of Sassoon Hospital (SOFOSH),which houses children for adoption,on the Sassoon General Hospital premises for housing four unwed pregnant women.
The department had conducted a random check at the unit on July 5,followed by investigations.
Deputy commissioner of women and child welfare H B Rathod said an adoption agency could not house unwed pregnant women. Rathod said they had sought an immediate explanation from the agency and action,if any,would be taken after the reply. The women and child welfare department conducts random checks at all agencies to ensure smooth operations.
District women and child welfare officer Suvarna Pawar,who carried out the investigation,said the agency was found to house four unmarried pregnant women. It was found that these women were staying with the agency for long. On further investigation,we found that they had their luggage there too and were staying there. All of them had definitely completed more than a months stay at the agency. We found that they had left their homes following pregnancy. The SOFOSHs Shreevatsa unit is an adoption agency and it cannot house women. They need to take separate permission for housing needy women. We have issued the showcause notice today, Pawar said.
The agency,which has been carrying out several adoption awareness programmes,is among the nine adoption agencies in Pune helping people to adopt children.
SOFOSH director Madhuri Abhyankar said she had been on leave for the past two days. I will have to look into the matter, she said. Shreevatsa unit head Sangeeta Pawar said they would have to go through the showcause notice to file a reply. I am yet to see it, she said.
Rathod said a detailed inquiry would be conducted as to why the pregnant women were sheltered in the adoption home once they got the agencys reply. There are several agencies that house needy women. Shreevatsa cannot take a decision to shelter them. They should have informed the agencies that provide shelter to such women. There are six shelter homes for women in the district.
The Women and Child Welfare Department has been on the guard ever since the Preet Mandir adoption agency was accused of malpractices in adoption and even the CBI intervening in the case.
