DCW asks WCD ministry, SW dept to give details of shelter homes in Delhi

The Delhi Commission for Women has sought details of shelter homes running in the city from the Women and Child Development Ministry and the Department of Social Welfare for conducting audits.

The DCW has setup an expert committee for social audit of shelter homes being run in Delhi and sought complete information about shelter homes for women and children and old age homes running in the national capital, the women's organisation said in a statement.

The commission has sought information such as - details of all shelter homes for women and girls, old age homes, homes for mentally challenged.

The information sought also includes details of grants released by the government, number of social audits undertaken by the government along with detailed reports of each, complaints received against the mismanagement of these shelter homes and details of sanctioned staff and current staff allocated for each shelter home.

The move has come after girls were rescued from two shelter homes in Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Deoria in Uttar Pradesh where they were allegedly sexually abused. The two cases have put the safety and security of girls, women and children at shelter homes at the centre of the public discourse.

In the Muzaffarpur case, the owner of the NGO, which runs the shelter home for destitute girls, has been arrested. Nine other people have also been arrested after the matter came into fore.

The Deoria case came to light after a 10-year-old girl managed to flee from her shelter home and informed authorities about the plight of the inmates, who were reportedly sexually abused by the couple running the home.