The Bombay High Court has set up a committee of representatives of NGOs to visit two children's homes in the city to ascertain whether cleanliness is maintainedand proper hygienic food is served to the inmates.
Dr K P Asha Mukundan, Directorof'ResourceCellfor Juvenile Justice' at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, would head the committee, while other members would be nominated by 'Audience of One Foundation,' 'Project Ashiyana' and 'Ojus Medical Institution', all NGOs.
The panel will visit theUmerkhadiObservationHome and the Dongri Children's Home in the city regularly and see whether cleanliness is maintained and proper food is served totheinmates, said a division bench of Justices Abhay Oka and P D Naik last week on a suo motu (on its own) PIL based on media reports about these institutions.
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"Thecommitteeshallmakeat leastoneor two visits everymonth without notice," the judges said.
Advocate Rajiv Patil, acting as amicus curaea (friend of the court), informed during the hearing that an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at suburban Mankhurd where these children are given training is now virtually closed.
Government pleader Anurag Gokhale submitted a report by the ChiefOfficerof Children's Aid Society which says that since December 2015, short-term courses has restarted at the ITI.
However, the report also says that some buildings at the
ITI are not in a good shape and require repairs and it also needs additionalstaff.
The HC directed the government to take necessary steps for restoration of all thecoursesat theITIat Mankhurd within six weeks.
Next hearing would be on July 1 when the committee headed by Dr Mukundan would submit a detailed inspection report.
