SHELTERING ABUSE

Last year, the state social welfare department asked TISS to conduct a social audit of the 110 state-sponsored shelter homes. The TISS report, submitted in April, led to revelations of rape and torture of at least 34 minor girls at the Muzaffarpur Balika Grih (a short stay home for minor girls) and massive irregularities at several other institutions.

Though belatedly, the department lodged FIRs and initiated action against over a dozen field officers who were responsible for monitoring the homes. No action was taken against any senior officer in the department’s headquarters, those responsible for selecting the NGOs that run the shelter homes.

Social welfare minister Manju Verma also had to quit after her husband’s call records confirmed that he was in constant touch with Brajesh Thakur, the man who ran the Muzaffarpur shelter home. The state government finally recommended a CBI probe into the Muzaffarpur case.

Even after the TISS report, there was fresh controversy. Since August 10, three inmates of the Patna Aasra Home, a halfway house sponsored by the department, have died and at least 13 others have been hospitalised. The government has now decided to take over the running of short stay/ shelter homes and other such facilities from the NGOs. It will have its own buildings and staff for this.