Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The NCPCR has asked the Bihar government to “activate” inspection committees meant to check on child care homes after it has emerged that a team of state child rights’ body failed to find the extent of abuse at the Muzaffarpur shelter home.
“We have written a letter to the Bihar government to ensure that inspection committees at district- and state-levels do their work of inspection, monitoring and evaluation of all child care institutions as per the Juvenile Justice Act,” NCPCR chairperson Stuti Kacker told TNIE.
“There are institutional mechanisms in place to prevent such incidents, but it’s sad that those mechanisms are not working properly in states.”
Sources said a team of Bihar State Commission for Protection of Child Rights had visited the shelter home in November last year but could not gauge the extent of the atrocity. “The BSCPCR has said that the girls at the shelter homes did not share much at that time and did not reveal any experience of sexual abuse,” an NCPCR official said. “It is shocking that inspection committees in states do not have a clear brief on their functioning and fail to do their job properly.”
The Commission has also urged the state government to get all shelter homes thoroughly investigated. “It’s possible that abuse or improper upkeep of children and girls would be happening elsewhere too. So, it’s imperative that all shelter homes be properly evaluated for their activities,” Kacker said.
