Meet today on children’s homes

A plan to make life of children in Delhi government homes a little better would be discussed at a meeting on Friday, reports Chetan Chauhan.

A plan to make life of children in Delhi government homes a little better would be discussed at a meeting on Friday.

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The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights has invited all stakeholders to suggest ways to improve condition of children in government homes after Hindustan Times highlighted the plight of about 110 children living in such a home in Narela.

Amod Kanth, chairman of the commission, said, “We would be talking to all stakeholders on Friday on what can be done to provide better living condition to children.”

At the meeting, the commission is also expected to review the implementation of a government committee constituted in 1996 to improve living condition for children in Delhi homes.

“Although the committee constituted by then Lieutenant-Governor Tejinder Khanna had made several recommendations, only a few of them have been implemented,” said Raj Mangal of NGO Pratidhi.

Condition in Narela home has deteriorated in recent years because of a long-standing dispute between the Delhi government and the Khadi Gram Udhyog, who owns the building. An inquiry conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said the children have suffered because of this.

“It is totally unacceptable that such institutions inflict violence on children depriving them of basic human rights,” was the comment made by NCPCR chairperson Shantha Sinha after the inquiry.

A senior government official had said the children would be shifted from the Narela home by December, but NGOs were critical of that the fact that they would have to spend another two months there.