Kerala - Kochi

Call for action against non-recognised orphanages

KOCHI: District panchayat president P.S. Shyla has called for action against orphanages functioning without the approval of the Orphanage Control Board.

She was presiding over a meeting of a district-level committee monitoring the functioning of orphanages and other charity organisations. The meeting decided to visit orphanages in the district and to monitor the activities. It was also decided to shift the inmates of non-recognised orphanages to other appropriate places.

Ms. Shyla pointed out that financial aid was being routed to approved organisations through local self-government bodies. The list of recognised institutions would be presented at the next meeting. N. Sivadasan, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Special Branch, said that whenever inspections were conducted at orphanages, those running the institutions raised objections.

Mohandas, District Social Welfare Officer, brought to the notice of the meeting a government order directing an increase in the space and other facilities allotted to each inmate in orphanages.

Complaints were raised at the meeting that Janaseva Sisubhavan at Aluva shifted children received through courts without the prior permission of courts.

G. Sudhambika, member of the Orphanage Control Board, said that during visits to orphanages, it was observed that most of inmates there were from outside the State. Allegations were also raised at the meeting that in order to protect vested interests of individuals many orphanages accommodated only less than the permitted number of inmates.

The committee will meet every three months and assess the progress of work.

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