Probe report today, shelter home staff likely to face action

LUCKNOW: The staff of the staterun shelter home for girls in Motinagar (Lucknow) is likely to face action after two inmates escaped from this place within a fortnight.

The back-to-back incidents have exposed the chinks in the safety arrangements at this home and a report being prepared by the department has suggested action against the administration of the shelter home. The district probation officer (DPO) will submit the report to higher authorities on Wednesday.

“Action will be taken against the child home authorities. This is sheer failure of the staff, especially those heading the institution. Two similar incidents happening within a fortnight show that the shelter home authorities were never alert,” said an official.

However, some employees cited staff crunch for the lack of vigil on inmates. “Over 50% posts are lying vacant. The existing staff is overburdened,” said a child home employee.

The department is aware of the staff crunch, said Sudhakar Pandey, DPO, adding, “Probe is on in the matter of two girls escaping from the child home and action will be taken, if any negligence is found.”

“The staff should have been more alert in view of the 12-yearold girl’s earlier attempts to escape from the shelter home,” said Sangeeta Sharma, representative, Childline.

Reeta Tamta, shelter home superintendent, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

A 12-year-old inmate, who was brought here after being rescued by Childline from the Charbagh railway station on January 3, fled from the shelter home at 5:12 pm on Saturday.

Making a mockery of the home administration’s tall claims of adequate arrangements after the previous incident, the girl succeeded in scaling the wall – the same route taken by the other girl who escaped on December 22.

The 12-year-old inmate climbed on the wash basin and reached the terrace of the shelter home by taking support of a ledge. She then went on to the terrace of an adjacent residential building and fled.