TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Goa government has finally decided to act on the recommendations of the Levinson Martins report and bring in changes in controversial shelter Apna Ghar.
Secretariat sources disclosed that 24×7 surveillance cameras will be fitted in the entire premises including the buildings where juveniles in conflict with law as well as children in need of care and protection are lodged. The Department of Women and Child Welfare to this effect has submitted to the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) to prepare a rough estimate of the total cost.
“CCTV cameras inside the building will reveal the working of the Apna Ghar staffers as well the children’s living conditions. While installing CCTVs in the outer premise is of utmost important to keep a check on children who are intending to escape from the campus,” an officer told Herald.
The chaos, anarchy and riot like conditions, inmates going berserk, breaking light fixtures, urinating in the dormitories and throwing bricks at caretakers have been a regular scene in the Apna Ghar. More so, since January 1, 2012 till date, over 36 inmates have escaped, including five boys who vanished earlier this week. A few of them have been traced later.
In 2012, after frequent escapes, the government had set up a one man committee to conduct an inquiry. However, though the Levinson Martins Report was accepted in toto, nothing ws done except for increasing the compound wall height and initiating disciplinary action against caretakers.
Last year, the department had claimed that Apna Ghar will be subjected to major infrastructural changes in tune with recommendations and the renovation, carried out by PWD was estimated to cost around Rs 27 lakh.
Children from both sections – Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, who are currently lodged in dormitories facing each other, will be kept in separate buildings as per the recommendations.
