J&K Chief Secy asks for verification of all NGOs following alleged trafficking of Covid orphans
JAMMU, DECEMBER 2: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to verify records of nari ashrams, bal ashrams, concerned NGOs, Trusts and Orphanages, besides conducting the audit of human resource and accounts of these centres for the last five years across the Union Territory.
Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, following alleged trafficking of Covid orphans by a Charitable Trust in Pampore, ordered setting up of joint teams of social welfare and education departments, magistrates from Deputy Commissioner office and police for carrying out the verification exercise. He at a meeting here this evening asked the Social Welfare Department to coordinate the synergized departmental response in the matter.
Two people have been arrested by police in Awantipora following a written complaint by the chairperson of Pulwama district’s Child Welfare Committee about trafficking of Covid orphans. Established in 2020, the Trust has been sealed and its records seized by the police.
Expressing his concern at the incident, Chief Secretary further asked the Social Welfare Department to obtain report regarding the welfare of Covid orphans from the field and share it with his office by Thursday evening.
He also asked the Home Department to ensure that every such centre is inspected by the nearest police station in the UT and a report shared by them with it by evening.
He also advised the Industries and Commerce Department to share list of all the 6,000 NGOs operating in the UT Social Welfare Department and the Police. The Social Welfare Department should get the verification of all the NGOs done in concert with district administrations in Panchayati Raj Institutions within a month and share the findings with the government.
The Industries and Commerce Department shall put all the unregistered NGOs on notice, saying that they will no longer be allowed to operate if they donot register themselves within 15 days. The Social Welfare Department shall take steps in consultation with the Health Department to verify all children hospitals, gynecological sections, neonatal sections of the hospitals in UT within next 15 days, while Law Department shall seek details of the Trusts operating in the space for last 10 years from the judiciary for purpose of their verification, Chief Secretary added.
Stating that begging and trafficking syndicates can’t be allowed to have a free run in J&K, he directed to maintain special watch on placement agencies, organisations scouting young girls and boys for talent hunt programmes, beauty pageants, escort services etc. so that incidents of child and women trafficking do not happen in future.
