Uttar Pradesh minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi today admitted laxity by Deoria administration in shutting down the shelter home from where 24 girls were rescued, saying the district officials were aware about the closure order but allowed the facility to operate for more than a year.
The admission of laxity by the state women and child welfare minister came a day after Union minister Maneka Gandhi said she feared that there could be more cases of sexual abuse of minor girls at shelter homes.
The 24 girls from the Deoria shelter home were rescued on Sunday amid allegations that they were sexually exploited. Another such case has came to light from Muzaffarpur in Bihar.
"In June last year, an order was issued for the closure of the shelter home and district magistrate was informed but it was not followed. At least 15 notices were given to the Deoria district magistrate for closure of the shelter home and shift inmates elsewhere. Five letter were sent from Directorate level... Certainly, there was laxity at local level," Joshi told reporters.
About the two-member team of Additional Chief Secretary Renuka Kumar and ADG Anju Gupta probing the matter, Joshi said, "The team has taken statements of inmates and checked records. The records and statements of the shelter home operators are contradictory."
"It was made girl, child centre, child home, adoption centre and given more work between 2010-2014 during the previous SP and BSP governments."