Orphanages get away with violation of rules

By: Kaumudi Gurjar

Can two officers keep a tab on all orphanages in the city? That's the question officials of the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department pose when asked  how illegal orphanages manage to operate in the city.

The matter assumes significance in light of the adoption scandal that surfaced at the Gurukul Godavari Balak Ashram in Yerawada. The orphanage lacked a licence, and the police unearthed shocking details of a 'babies for money' adoption racket virtually everyday since the arrest of its director, an employee, a couple of doctors, and a school principal.

Faced with the mushrooming of orphanages in the city, officials find it difficult to cope with the workload. They say keeping an eye on 47 orphanages in the city in times of a severe staff crunch is tough.

"With one probation officer on medical leave and only two on duty, it is difficult to keep a tab on the illegal institutions, which are said to be mushrooming," District Women and Child Welfare Officer P B Shirke said.

Combing operations

Anuradha Sahastrabuddhe, member of Juvenile Justice Board and director of Dnyanadevi Childline, said combing operations to unearth illegal activities were the need of the hour.

"We had received a tip-off about such a fake orphanage four years ago, but nothing happened. Now after four years and all this noise, CWC (Child Welfare Committee) officials visited the ashram and said they shut it down. How can such laxness be allowed at such a time?" she said.

Anjali Pawar, director of NGO Sakhi, said WCD Department officials can not shy away from their responsibility by citing staff shortage.

Orphanages raided

On Monday, after protests from child rights activists that the WCD Department was doing nothing about the sale of children happening from orphanages, two Dapodi-based orphanages operating without a licence for 10 years were made to shut down on Monday.

"When the case of an HIV positive child being sold by Gurukul Godavari Balak Ashram was brought to light, a Dapodi-based CWC member received information about two such orphanages illegally running in the town area," said a person with inside knowledge of the committee's working. "The members of CWC visited two such institutions and after scrutinising their papers, realised that they were lacking necessary licences."

A CWC member, who requested anonymity, said at Niradhar Balsangopan Balakashram run by Malan Tulwe, 32 children from seven to 11 years of age were kept in a community hall with no proper provisions for eating, drinking water and toilets.

"The orphanage was running on charity and no state government funds were made available to them," the CWC member said. "On inspection of their files, it was revealed that most of the charity money was used by the caretakers."

She said the second orphanage, Saraswati Ananthashram run by Saraswati Surwase, was in a much better condition, but lacked the necessary licence.

Sahastrabuddhe alleged that one of the Dapodi orphanages that CWC claims to have shut was still running.

"We have kept surveillance on them for four years. After CWC claimed they had shut the orphanage, we visited the place," said Sahastrabuddhe. "Our person befriended the caretaker and was told that the kids had been shifted to another location hours before the CWC raid."