Jajpur Road: Even as the Centre and state have launched several schemes for orphan children and are trying to rehabilitate them in society, lack of proper implementation of the schemes due to administrative apathy has forced the orphans to live an abandoned life without any protection.
Take the case of orphan children living in this town. Over 50 of them live at Chunabhati plot under ward-25 and 20 of them live in railway station. Their parents used to earn their living as casual labourers but died due to lack of food and diseases. These children have failed to live a life of dignity as the administration has never come forward to take them under its care.
Many of them eke out a living as rag pickers; but a lot more have turned petty thieves. This has happened as the administration has never a spared a thought for them. The district child protection unit is equally non-responsive towards the orphans’ plight. Lack of proper food has made them sick and feeble.
The matter came to the fore after a social outfit Sri Jagannath Seva Samiti noticed the plight of the children and informed the district child protection unit. The Samiti even rescued three orphans in a week and rehabilitated them with the help of the district administration. The Samiti members also provided them with clothes, food, medicines and study materials.
Some of the children are living with their grandparents and distant relatives. Children like Kartik Moharana (13), Ishwari Hembram (12), Barsha Singh (10), Asha Singh, Ani Singh and Shyam Singh after losing their parents at a tender age are living with their grandparents and kin.
Many of them don’t have Aadhaar or ration card. As a result, benefits of developmental schemes don’t reach them. Lack of parental cover has forced them to live a life of neglect and distress.
Take the case of siblings Barsha, Asha and Ani who lost their parents three years back. Now, they are living with their maternal grandmother Gurubari Singh who has to beg for alms to feed the three kids. While Barsha is in Class V, Asha is in Class IV and Ani in Class II.
Kartik, a Class V student, is living with his grandmother after the death of his parents. He has to collect rags to earn a living.
The president of Sri Jagannath Seva Samiti said they have informed the administration about the plight of the children but steps are yet to be taken to rehabilitate them.
PNN
