Maha madrasa with 54 children facing difficulty in providing essentials due to fund crunch: NCPCR

A madrasa in Maharashtra housing 54 children has been facing difficulty in providing basic facilities with limited funds during the ongoing lockdown to contain COVID-19 outbreak, the apex child rights body NCPCR said on Monday.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said it received a representation from Darul Uloom Shamsiya and Jamiya Tilawatus-Salihat regarding pending release of funds under the Madrasa Modernization Scheme.

Around 150 students are enroled in the madarsa in Osmanabad, but at present only 54 are living there.

The madrasa has not received funds due to which arranging for basic facilities during the lockdown has become difficult, the representation told the NCPCR.

NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo, in a letter, asked the collector and district magistrate of Osmanabad to immediately provide ration for the children and issue passes to the cooks engaged in the institution.

"Regular medical check-up of the cooks may be conducted. At the same time, expedite the process and ensure that the funds are immediately released and basic entitlements of these children are provided to them uninterrupted," the letter said.

India is currently under a 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24.