Bhopal: The state government has gone strict over child shelter homes in wake of incidents of sexual exploitation of girls in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Woman and child development department, principal secretary, JN Kansotia has directed collectors to get all child shelter homes running in their respective districts, inspected.
Instructions have been issued for the regular inspection of women hostels too. It is directed to get child shelter homes shut, which house girls below 18 years of age, but are not registered. The availability of basic amenities would also be checked during the inspection.
Juvenile Justice Act, 1996 has all rules related child shelter homes. The government has asked for compliance of the provisions of the said Act. Child Care Committee, at the district level, has been asked to conduct inspections at regular intervals and submit report.
According to Kansotia, regular inspections of child shelter homes are conducted across the state. A monitoring report is also prepared. He said child shelter home for children below 18 years cannot run without registration. A person is independent to run a hostel for adult girls.
Kansotia said officers had been asked to conduct inspections of all child shelter homes, considering the incidents happening in the recent past. Kansotia said officers have been asked to inspect woman hostels. Officers have been given clear instructions not to show laxity in the inspections of hostels for women and girls.
