NCPCR chairman finds irregularities at St Francis Sewadham Ashram in MP's Sagar
May 09, 2023
Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 9 : National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanoongo said that he was writing a letter to the police and the district administration to take action against St Francis Sewadham Ashram located in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district after finding various irregularities there.
A four-member team of the NCPCR reached here on Monday (May 8) for investigation following the complaint against the ashram. NCPCR chairman Priyanka Kanungo, Omkar Singh, Dr Nivedita Sharma and Rekha Pawar were in the team.
Speaking to ANI, NCPC president Kanoongo said, "Several irregularities were found at the children's home. We came to know that some children have been kept here for a long time and have full information about their parents' and family, but they were not restored with their families. A large amount of foreign funding was collected in the name of children by taking sponsorship from abroad."
Because of the greed of that funding, the children were kept here. The living conditions of the children were also pathetic. Tin sheds were fitted and there were many holes in them. Grains were kept in the living rooms of the children. Overall, the children's home was not in a habitable condition for the children, Kanoongo said.
He further added, "The government had given the vast land to the organisation to run the orphanage and the licence of that orphanage has expired. But they take a stay over land again and again on the basis that children are living here. They keep children without the orders of CWC (Child Welfare Committee) and the social investigation report of the children was not found here. Overall, so many shortcomings have been found and we are writing to the police and the administration to take action."
He also suspected the practice of religious conversion at the children's home.
"The name of a girl when she came here was Hindu, now she has become an adult but her name seems like a Christian. Besides, a priest here also misbehaved with one of our members Nivedita Sharma and tried to videography her. We are giving a complaint to the police in this matter too," he added.
Kanoongo also said that they received wine bottles and meat at the spot. He had told the tehsildar about it and the tehsildar would seize it and take further action into it.
