Berhampur: Members of Odisha State Council for Child Welfare committee visited the Utkal Balashram under Goshaninuagaon police limits here Thursday to review the situation after 13 girls fled the home January 6 alleging ‘torture’. Four of the girls have been rescued from Bhubaneswar.
The team including Secretary of Odisha State Council for Child Welfare committee Kuamara Sultana Begum and Child Welfare officer Anupama talked to the inmates and superintendent of the home, Susmita Padhi. They asked the officials at the Balashram to trace the missing nine girls quickly.
Begum informed that the locations of the nine missing girls have been traced to Berhampur, Kendrapara and Rourkela. Further investigation is underway. She also said that the team will prepare a report and present it to the District Collector and the Odisha State Child Welfare committee. If lapses are found, disciplinary action will be taken against the erring officials, she warned.
Padhi said that they had spoken a long time back to the Collector for repairing the boundary wall of the home, parts of which has collapsed. “We have got the verbal permission, but not a written one. Hence we are not being able to start the repair work,” Padhi said. Incidentally the 13 inmates escaped through a portion of the wall which had a gaping hole.
PNN
