Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh): The Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, including Khandwa, Khargone, Burhanpur, Harda and Barwani districts, is facing a serious child protection crisis.
Due to its connectivity through a major railway junction and the Mumbai–Hyderabad highway, the region remains highly vulnerable to child trafficking, missing children and abandoned minors.
Shiv Sena leader Ganesh Bhawsar alleged that despite this situation, there is still no permanent and adequate government-run boys’ or girls’ shelter homes across these districts.
He will be submitting a written complaint about the case to CM Mohan Yadav on Saturday, during his visit to the region.
Rescued children are often placed in temporary arrangements or shifted to other districts, affecting their rehabilitation process and compromising their safety.
In this challenging environment, Sahaj Samagam Foundation in Khandwa functions as the only recognised Special Adoption Agency (SAA) in the entire Nimar region.
The agency provides shelter, care and legal adoption services for orphaned, abandoned and legally free children from one day to six years of age.
The foundation, which also operates the Kilkari Shishu Grah, has reportedly facilitated one of the highest numbers of adoptions among institutions across 52 districts of the state.
However, it has been running entirely on its own financial resources since receiving recognition in May 2022.
Despite submitting audited financial records through the district administration, the organisation was informed that no separate government fund is currently available for orphanage operations. Due to which this Grah will also be shut down soon.
A proposal seeking financial assistance is pending before the Project Approval Board (PAB) in Delhi. Public representatives urged the Women and Child Development Department to prioritise the matter.
State Women and Child Development Minister Nirmala Bhuria has assured that the proposal will be placed before the board as per Government of India guidelines, but final approval remains pending.
With no stable funding and no alternative government homes established after the closure of previous facilities, the region’s only structured child protection system now stands on the brink of shutdown, raising urgent concerns over children’s constitutional rights and safety.
