Destitute boys find no shelter in Alappuzha

Alappuzha: There is no home for destitute boys now in Alappuzha with the Mayithara children's home becoming a girls’ home.

This could create problems for the district Child Welfare Committee which often handles cases of underprivileged boys. The boys’ home was dissolved through an order by the Social Justice Department.

Some 21 destitute boys in the age group of 12-17 years were staying at Mayithara home. They have been relocated to various places in the district where they have to be enrolled in new schools by the next academic year.

The CWC has criticised the SJD for implementing an order without setting up a shelter for boys.  An observation home functions in the same compound at Mayithara home with nine juveniles staying there.

“The boys, who were rescued by childline and Railway Protection Force, were sent to Mayithara home. Now we have no place to keep the rescued boys. If the RPF takes the child at night, is it easy to send him to the children's home in other districts after getting the approval from the CWC concerned,” asked  Mr K.K. Joseph, member CWC.

He also cited lack of security measures at Mayithara girls’ home where boys with criminal background are staying on the same campus.

However, district child protection officer  Sabu Joseph, under whom the shifting took place, is tight-lipped on the steps taken to prevent  boys and girls from interacting  at Mayithara home. The DCPO shifted three girls from Nooranad home, another pubic children’s home in the district being administered by Bharanikavu block panchayat, to Mayithara campus on Monday.

The officials say all 17 girls under 12 at Nooranad home would be moved to Mayithara home by the next academic year. As many as 40 under-12 kids were staying at Nooranad home. With the removal of the 17 girls from the Nooranad home, the strength of inmates has come down.

According to officials at the SJD, the order was issued as per the JJ Act which stipulated that there should be a separate home for girls in  every district. "In the days to come, the boys would be accommodated at  Nooranad," they  said.

Meanwhile, the authorities at  Nooranad children's home have come out against the DCPO's move to accommodate the boys from  the Mayithara home at  Nooranad shelter. Rajani Jayadav, president, Bharanikavu block panchayat,  said that they handed over  the children to DCPO on Monday after they got the assurance from SJD minister's office that no boys above 12 would be brought to Nooranad home. "We will not admit those boys in  future since it was graded as below 12-age home," she said.