Shelter homes to be put under CCTV watch

LUCKNOW : The state women and child welfare department will ensure round-the-clock monitoring of shelter homes across Uttar Pradesh by installing closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras on the premises, state women and child welfare minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi said on Wednesday.

A centralised monitoring system will be developed and the state data management centre expanded, she added.

Joshi also said members of the State Women Commission and Child Commission will inspect the shelter homes in different districts and submit their reports to the state government.

This decision was taken at a meeting of the women and child development department on Wednesday in the backdrop of the nationwide outrage over the alleged sexual exploitation of girls at a Deoria shelter home.

To check exploitation of inmates, the department also plans to identify shelter home authorities involved in dubious activities. Officials attending the meeting considered improving the condition of shelters homes and give better facilities to the inmates. Speaking after the meeting, Joshi said officers were directed to prepare a work plan to educate the inmates and make them self-reliant. A skill development scheme will be run in shelter homes with the help of special trainers. Officers were also told to prepare a detailed report about the educational qualification of the inmates. Joshi also said reputed NGOs will be given priority in running shelter homes. The selection procedure will be transparent and online, she said, adding officers were also directed to prepare a list of inactive district welfare committee members.

Additional chief secretary, women welfare, Renuka Kumar said the state data mgmt centre will be divided into two parts for online monitoring of the shelter homes. One part will work as state data evaluation unit to collect MIS data while the other will function as an observation unit.