67 children’s home checked in Punjab

Against the backdrop of criminal cases involving children’s home in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, 67 such homes were checked in Punjab on Friday even though no irregularities of any kind were found.

In a specialised campaign on the directions of the Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister, Punjab, Aruna Chaudhary, children’s homes were checked as a precautionary measure.

An official statement said during the course of the checking, no complaint relating to abuse or child security came to the fore and everything was found in order.

As regarding the suggestions received regarding further improvement in the children homes and some minor infrastructural issues, these were forwarded to the Minister.

The department also released two helplines in order to ensure the protection of children on which anybody can register a complaint.

Chaudhary said ensuring security of the children and women is the biggest priority for which the department has formed teams at the state as well as the district level aimed at the regular checking of children homes.

The Minister said incidents which happened at the children homes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have shaken the society to the core which resulted in the department deciding to go in for special checking of the children homes in Punjab by constituting teams under the Deputy Commissioners and the higher officials at the State-level.

Expressing satisfaction at the report of the checking teams, Chaudhary assured that the Punjab Government is duty bound for the protection of children with more improved methods in future.

Special Chief Secretary, Social Security, Women and Child Development, KBS Sidhu said suggestions received with regard improvements would be put into practice.

Director of the Department, Kavita Singh said that in two days, 67 children homes spread over 14 districts were subjected to checking. Out of these, 19 were government and the rest 48 were non-governmental.

These are those children homes which house the orphan, and the lost children with special needs or those from child reform homes. 

She said each committee had a senior officer of the department from the headquarter or the Deputy Commissioner as the head under whose supervision the child care institutes were checked.

She said the initial reports found everything in order and the rest of the picture would be cleared in the detailed reports.

The department has released two helpline numbers in this regard.

Any person can lodge a complaint 24x7 on the mobile number 70872-23325 while on the departmental headquarter number 0172-2608746 complaint can be lodged from 9 am till 5 pm.

The complaints can be lodged concerning the misbehavior with or cruelty against children, women and people the old age. The identity of the complainant would be kept a secret, a statement said.