Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

District Social Welfare Officer told to monitor juvenile homes

MADURAI: The Madras High Court Bench here has directed the Kanyakumari District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) to monitor the functioning of registered private juvenile homes and initiate stern action if they are indulging “illegalities or irregularities.”

Disposing of a public interest litigation petition filed by a lawyer hailing from Kanyakumari, a Division Bench, comprising Justices N. Paul Vasanthakumar and R. Subbiah, also directed the Social Welfare Officer to crack down on unregistered juvenile homes.

In his affidavit, S. Girinivasaprasad alleged that the inmates of many juvenile homes in the district were ill-treated and denied good food and clothing. He sought a direction to the State government and the District Collector to periodically monitor and evaluate the functioning of children's homes as mandated under Section 36 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.

In her counter affidavit, the District Social Welfare Officer stated that the Collector had issued a newspaper publication as early as on November 22, 2009 calling for applications from juvenile homes to get registered under the Juvenile Justice Act.

Thereafter, the DSWO received 84 applications for registration. The Collector formed five teams — headed by the DSWO, District Disabled Rehabilitation Officer, District Project Nutrition Officer, Personal Assistant to Collector and Superintendent to Children's homes — to inspect the homes run by the applicants.

The teams were instructed to visit all the 84 children homes and to find out the adequacy of buildings, lighting, ventilation, water and sanitary facilities among other things. They were also asked to make enquiries regarding the age of the inmates, their education, whether they were sexually harassed and so on.

The DSWO also claimed that she often made surprise visits to juvenile homes in order to detect malpractice, fraud or harassment of children. During a visit to the Bethestha Ministries Trust at Palavilai, it was found that no formalities were fulfilled by the founder. The children were rescued and accommodated in another home.

“The Reception Unit of the District Child Welfare Committee also visited Sharon Children Home at Nalloor and Arumai Packiam Home at Poojapuravilai, Agastheeswaram and the children were rescued with the help of police and cases have been registered against the founders,” the DSWO said.

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