Umang foundation, a public welfare trust, has alleged that the state government is violating the law by keeping children with multiple disabilities in the destitute children’s homes. One such child died recently in a special institute for the blind and deaf at Dhalli, Shimla and in total eight such children are still living in different destitute homes in Shimla district. They all are at risk as no special care giver has been provided for them by the government. Two of them are in serious condition. The Foundation has decided to file a PIL in the Himachal Pradesh High Court to save their lives.
Ajai Srivastava, chairman and Surender Kumar, trusty, in a press conference, said that the State government is violating three Acts – National Trust Act, Rehabilitation Council of India Act and Juvenile Justice Act by keeping them in ordinary Homes. He said in a destitute of the government at Tutikandi, Shimla, four children with multiple disabilities are kept for years. They are Bhura (16), Amit(15), Karan(15) and Laata (15). Laata is in seriously ill. There is no special care giver or special educator for them in the Home. Another govt. destitute home at Masli near Rohru has one mentally retarded boy named Uma. These destitute homes are run by the Department of Women and Child Welfare which has no jurisdiction over disability issue. The disabled children are looked after by SC, ST and Minority Affairs Deptt.
The special institute for blind and deaf at Dhalli has recently seen the tragic death of Krishna (17), a child with multiple disabilities. In the same Home three more such children are still living. One of them Shyam (16), severly Deaf-Blind, is seriously ill. The other two are Ram and Adi. The State Council for Child Welfare, which runs the institute, has not bothered to provide them disability certificates. The staff of the Home is not trained to deal with multiple disabilities. He said that the ordinary staff can not understand the specific needs, requirements and behaviour of these children.
Ajai Srivastava said that the Foundation is raising these issues before the government time and again but no action has been taken. The govt. should immediately start separate Home for children with mental retardation and multiple disabilities. He said now the Foundation will file a PIL in the High Court to ensure justice to the innocent children.
