Child Rights body raises concern over 6 orphanages run by Assam MP

New Delhi, Dec 29: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has expressed serious concern and sounded alarm bell over the functioning of six orphanages in Assam and Manipur saying that nearly 300 out of the total 1000 children mentioned in the documents were not found during the physical inspections.

These shelter homes are located at Dhubri, Goalpara, Hojai and Nagaon in Assam and Thoubal in Manipur. They are run by AIUDF MP from Dhubri, Badruddin Ajmal. Ajmal could not be available for comments despite multiple attempts to reach him, a report in the New Indian Express said.

Among several other serious charges, the NCPCR said in its report to the Centre and the state governments that at least one child care institution run by Markaz Darul Yatama is accepting money from IHH, an international NGO which is suspected to have links with the al-Qaeda.

The 15-page NCPCR report sent to the government following the inspections by NCPCR and the state child rights commission authorities recommended a probe by the NIA into the suspicious “Aqiqah Project” with which the children were said to be attacked but whose details could not be provided. The inspections were held between December 14 and 18.

“Three of the shelter homes were found to be illegally run as they were not registered and in all six homes, children have been kept in deplorable conditions without seeking permission from district child welfare committees,” New Indian Express quoted NCPCR Chairman Priyank Kanoongo as saying.

He added that not only was there was evidence of serious financial irregularities, including illegal foreign funding, but children were also being given corporal punishment routinely.

“Also, we have got evidence that their details were being shared with some organisations in Turkey,” Kanoongo said.

“The team, during the inspection of Markaz Darul Yatama, Dhubri, had been informed about funds being received by IHH, which is based in Turkey, for the implementation of AKIKA project in 2016,” the report says.