Wednesday, April 13 2005 10:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Children in orphanages across Maharashtra often go without adequate good food and clothes, alleges a report prepared by Quality Institutional Care and Alternative for Children (QIC&AC), an NGO.

"Even basic provisions like good food, good clothing are not provided to the children," QIC&AC observers said in a report 'Situational analysis of the juvenile justice system in the State of Maharashtra'.

The report covering orphanages run by the State Government as well as NGOs, charges that Government-run institutions are consciously making an attempt to worsen their services so that they can be handed over to voluntary organizations.

"Even if there are vacancies in the Government institutions, the children are transferred to NGO-run institutions and the Government is clearly withdrawing from its responsibilities," the report says.

The number of institutions for orphans in Maharashtra is more than 50 per cent of the institutions in the country and 75 per cent of the institutes in the state are run by NGOs, it points out.

The report alleges girls in such institutions are constantly vulnerable to abuse, especially in places where there is male residential staff and the cases of abuse are increasingly being reported.

The QIC&AC report points out that the NGO-run institutions do not follow any staff pattern and they on times have unqualified and lowly paid staff.

"For example, a mentally challenged children's home may have a caretaker who does not know anything about mental retardation."

It alleges basic things like diet prescribed for children is not known, there are no regular health check ups, recreation is not available nor is there any child-care plan plus rehabilitation plan once the child matures into an adult.

The report says from the State Budget it is clear that the occupancy ratio for existing institutions is only 60 per cent. In spite of this, new institutions are given sanction every year.

The NGO has demanded that every child in the institution must have an independent childcare plan and the State Government must demand for annual data on number of case rehabilitated, nature of rehabilitation and follow-up.

"Further, the Government must ensure the availability of a counsellor, teacher and vocational trainer in every institution, whether in house or visiting," the report says adding that the Government must ensure effective and transparent functioning of district rehabilitation committees.