Form teams to monitor child care centres: Maneka
New Delhi, July 30 : In the wake of the recent rape incident at the government-run shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi on Monday ordered constitution of teams at the state and district level for regular monitoring of the Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAA) and Child-Care Institutions (CCIs).
"Deeply anguished over the incident of sexual assault on minor girls at a Muzaffarpur Shelter Home, I have directed WCD ministry officers to put in place a mechanism so that the women and children at all such institutions are able to reach out to us for help", the minister tweeted.
Gandhi further added that Child Welfare Committees (CWC) need to be constituted in each district with immediate effect. She also insisted on registration of the CCIs under the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act and linking it to the Specialised Adoption Agency (SAA).
"To facilitate an expeditious and smooth adoption process, Child-Care Institutions must feed in the details of children on the Child Adoption Resource Information & Guidance System (CARINGS), the web-based platform," she said.
The minister said the District Magistrates and District Collectors should take the responsibility of monitoring the adoption programmes which are implemented at the district level and also directed the officials to streamline the adoption process and ensure its completion within the stipulated time.
According to Muzzafarpur police, the shelter home was sealed after the sexual abuse of girl inmates came to light during a social audit by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. The report was submitted to the state Social Welfare Department, which directed officials to lodge a complaint.
A medical examination of 44 girls of the home revealed that 21 of them were raped. The district police has arrested some officials of the home.
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NCW chief condemns rape-murder of 4-year-old girl in Pune, calls for swift action
New Delhi (PTI): National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has condemned the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune, calling it "deeply distressing" and a "blot on humanity".
The girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 65-year-old labourer, who has a criminal record, in Bhor tehsil of Pune on Friday. The accused allegedly lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of giving her food. After raping her, he killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to police.
The accused has been arrested.
In a post on X on Saturday, Rahatkar said the incident in the Nasrapur area in Pune was heartbreaking and has shaken society.
"The brutal torture and murder of a four-year-old innocent girl in Nasrapur (Bhor, Pune) is deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking. It is a blot on humanity," she said.
She said Pune Rural police has arrested the accused and noted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar have assured strict action in the case.
Rahatkar said the NCW has taken cognisance of the matter and written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), requesting the body to ensure necessary and prompt action.
It has also been recommended that the case be pursued under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and be closely monitored from the filing of the chargesheet to proceedings in a fast-track special court to ensure time-bound justice, she added.
Ensuring justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the accused is a collective responsibility, the NCW chairperson underlined.
In a post on X, the NCW said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the extremely "heinous" incident.
"This heinous crime causes profound pain and outrage, and it highlights serious concerns regarding the safety of young girls," it said.
Strongly condemning this grave "inhuman act", the NCW said such crimes constitute a serious violation of children's rights and raise questions about society's security system.
