New Delhi: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Prasanna Acharya Wednesday urged the Union government to frame a special law for innumerable orphan and destitute children of the country to save them from abuse and exploitation and provide them with shelter, education, healthcare and proper livelihood.
Speaking during the Zero Hour in the Upper House, Acharya said children are the future of a nation and we must upbring all our children in a very healthy atmosphere with every necessity of life.
“Unfortunately, there are millions of orphans in our country with unknown parentage. They are abandoned by their parents. These children are seen loitering on the streets, collecting waste papers, plastic material, scrap from the dump yards for their subsistence. They are vulnerable to abuses and exploitation by antisocials,” said Acharya.
Referring to Unicef’s statistics, Acharya said the country has around 31 million orphan children in the age group of 1-17 years.
“To get admission in a school, one needs birth certificate, caste certificate, parental identification and so many things. To be eligible for government schemes, we need ration card, income certificate and residence proof. But, from where and how an orphan can get all these. Every deserted orphan ask himself/herself with a broken heart, who are my parents; what is my identity; what is my date of birth; what is my religion; what is my caste; what is my address; whom do I belong. Neither the government nor the society has answers to these questions,” the parliamentarian pointed out.
The senior BJD MP urged the Centre to create a separate welfare fund for homeless orphans and street children. Besides, to supervise all such things, an orphan and street children welfare authority should be constituted immediately.
