Centre Orders Probe Into Shelter Home Sexual Abuse

Bhubaneswar: Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Saturday ordered a probe into the sexual abuse of minor girls in a shelter home in Dhenkanal district. She came down heavily on the Odisha government for gross inaction in taking prompt and exemplary action on this matter.

She directed the Union Women and Child Development Secretary to conduct a detailed investigation and submit a report at the earliest. Besides, she also directed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) officials to inspect all the shelter homes in Odisha and submit a report about their functioning.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Maneka said there are reports of sexual abuse and conversion in the shelter homes run by the NGO Good News India. Most of its shelter homes have been functioning without registration since the last two years.

Referring to the incident that had taken place in the shelter home in Dhenkanal, she said it is a matter of regret that the district administration has no knowledge about how it functions despite the fact that it is only 10 km away from the district headquarters.

Stating that the license of the shelter home had expired in October, a fact confirmed by the concerned minister and secretary, Maneka said the state government has failed in providing security to women and children.

Earlier, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in a letter to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had urged him to initiate stern action against the guilty.

He informed that Good News India has 26 shelter homes in Odisha, of which 15 shelter homes are unregistered.