LITTLE EFFORTS PUT IN TO RESOLVE MYSTERY
Incidences of newborn babies being abandoned in garbage dumps and by the roadsides and stray dogs feasting on them have become common. While many of these are born out of illegal relationships, a few are unwanted pregnancies and some are female toddlers.
In 2007, the government had launched a scheme — Ooyala — to rescue the discarded babies. However, it was scrapped following criticism from different quarters, said officials.
The Ooyala was aimed at curbing deaths of newborns and female infanticide. As part of the scheme, the women and child welfare department had set up cradles at government hospitals, primary health centres, aanganwadi centres, shishu vihars, temples and at designated spots near bus stations, railway stations and other places where hospitals are located.
The cradles helped single mothers, who were not willing to own their child and those born out of illegal relationships find a new hope. These babies were left in the cradles and were taken care by the department. Officials said there was a good response to the scheme that helped to rescue many babies.
While the scheme increase number of children When a newborn baby is abandoned alive or dead, a case is registered by the police. However, the case is not probed further. The police said that compared to other cases, there is less effort to resolve these cases.
On an average, every month two cases of dead infants are reported from different parts of the city and around five toddlers are found abandoned alive. Many of them are females - most of them no more days old and or months old.
As soon as the police gets information about an abandoned child, a at the Sishu Vihar, it also added financial burden on the department while there was no increase in manpower to look after the children, an case is registered. If the baby is alive, it is hand over to the child protection unit and is shifted to the Shishu Vihar.
If the baby is dead, it is disposed of after an autopsy.
After registering the case, the police verify records in the nearby hospitals. Later, the case is not followed up.
The main reason for the police to leave the case in the middle is the absence of a victim and other concerned persons to follow up the case.
"Frankly speaking, the investigating officer will not be pulled up by superiors for the pendency of these cases," said senior police official. official from the women and child welfare department said.
However, the scheme was criticised by human rights groups. They found fault with its implementation.
“They said that the scheme was encouraging parents to abandon their children. They also said that Juvenile Justice Act mandates that any child should be under the care of their parents,” another official said, and added that the successive governments failed to take up this project.