Online petition accuses govt of making social worker Sapkal

An online petition has been launched requesting the Maharashtra government to remove the obstacles in registration of an orphanage run by Pune-based noted social worker Sindhutai Sapkal.
Titled "Stop Harassing Sindhutai Sapkal; Don't Close Down Her Orphanage" and launched through the Change.Org, the petition would be submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi.
"The government made her run around and refused to cooperate. Now they want to shut her (orphanage) down for not being registered. Government orphanages are severely underfunded and overpopulated. There is no room for these children and their lives will be destroyed by this hasty decision," says the petition, initiated by journalist Sucheta Dalal.

"Government gives land and grants to sportstars, film actresses, etc, but when someone like Sindhutai, who has studied only upto std 4th, is doing things on her own, she is harassed," Dalal told PTI.
Sapkal, who became famous after a film was made on her life some years ago, is trying get her orphanage in Pune registered with the government since 2011.
She has adopted over 1,000 orphan children over her long career, and has received several awards including the Ahilyabai Holkar Award by Maharashtra government.
"This amazing woman even got her own daughter admitted in orphanage so that she could be fair to all the children. Now, all her sacrifices and her hard work will go to waste because of cruel and indifferent government bureaucracy that doesn't seem to care about the children at all," Dalal said.

RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar said the senior officials of the social welfare department were discouraging Sapkal, which was "unacceptable".