Itanagar : APSCPCR rescued 22 children from an Orphanage Home
APSCPCR rescued 22 children from an Orphanage Home in Pasighat after an Inspection conducted by the CWC East Siang.
Itanagar
Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) cum A.P State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR), Member Secretary, Ms. Yame Higio, and Ms. Tem Yabi, along with Child Welfare Committee East Siang District, rescued 22 Children from an Orphanage Home in Pasighat following information received from Smt. P.E. Angu, Dy. Director (ICDS) cum DCPO District Child Protection Unit, East Siang.
The action initiated after an Inspection conducted by the CWC East Siang on the Friendship Foundation Academy, a self-proclaimed Orphanage & School, unregistered and without the knowledge of any concerned authorities.
The Academy is said to have its Head Office at Itanagar and the parents came to know about the school from this office and many parents also came to know through words of mouth.
The children belonging to the adjoining area of Pasighat, East Siang district were asked to hand over to their parents/guardians and the remaining children were brought to the Children Home, run by the Oju Welfare Association, since the children belonged to the districts of Papum Pare, Kra Dadi and Kurung Kumey districts.
The Report submitted by Obang Dai, Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee Pasighat to the Deputy Commissioner, East Siang, recommended closure of the Home on violations of the JJ Act, 2015. The Home had no registration of any kind and enrolled 50 children.
The living condition of the 5-roomed hostel was also found to be deplorable and no furniture was found in the classroom. 9-10 children used to sleep in a room on a same bed by joining two small beds. Classes were conducted for just one or two hour in a day.
The rooms were without any ventilation and very unhygienic. Most of the children also showed signs of skin infections.
The children were also kept on starving conditions with just two meals a day of Rice & Dal only and the drinking water provided was direct Tap Water. Smt. Laxmi Chetri Yirang was the School In-charge since Mar 2018 and Smt. Priyanka from Darjeeling was running the school prior to her.
The teachers were also not paid their monthly salary for past three months and the two teachers and the cook also relinquished from the school.
An FIR is already lodged at Police Station Pasighat, against Mr. Karma Bhutia, Chairman of the Friendship Foundation Academy and he is still absconding.
The children were brought to the Children Home, run by Oju Welfare Association, Naharlagun on 29th August 2018 at 10.30 PM and the parents of the 22 children were called for a meeting at OWA on 30th August 2018 and the children were handed over to their parents.
However, considering the present situation and due to the mid school session, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR)requested to Ms. Ratan Anya, Chairperson, OWA for admittance of the children in Oju Mission School (OMS). 19 (nineteen) children admitted in OMS out of which four were found to be orphan and three were taken back by their parents. OWA would provide free education to all the children for this session.
APSCW Cum APSCPSR appreciated CWC team Pasighat and Ms. Ratan Anya, Chairperson, OWA, Naharlagun for their prompt action and support for rehabilitating the children. Further, APSCW Cum APSCPCR request State Government to constitute the separate commission for SCPCR to look after the child related cases as number of crimes against children are taking places in the state.
