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Ishfaq Ahmad Shah
Srinagar, Feb 02
*Source - Rising Kashmir
Asking orphanages to strictly adopt quality standards of care, the State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday said the two decades of conflict has created 1 lakh orphans who need “better care and quality life”.
The CM also warned both public and private orphanages to either adopt the quality care standards or “close down” their operation in the State.
“Orphanages objecting to implement quality care standards should be locked down. Otherwise we won’t be able to take care of 1 lakh orphans of the State,” Omar said while releasing a document ‘Quality Standards of care for Orphanages in J&K’ prepared by the Social Welfare department.
The document has been developed in collaboration with the NGO ‘Save the Children’, that offers a regulatory framework for governing orphanages.
The CM also urged the Social Welfare department to implement the guidelines and properly monitor its working.
After releasing the document, Omar floated the idea of setting up of a task force comprising of members from Social Welfare, Save the Children and other NGOs besides members of civil society.
“The task force with 15-16 members should work out a plan and recommend it to the government for the betterment of all these orphans,” Omar added.
The CM also said that the State is the only state which has adopted the set of standards for improvement of orphans.
Speaking at the function, the Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo said that the welfare of orphans in the J&K has lacked sincere efforts from all.
“We are lagging behind other states in this regard,” she said, adding “we have to initiate sustainable efforts for the welfare of State’s orphans.”
She also asserted that the number of orphans in eth State has increased manifold during past 20 years of conflict.
She said, “Both government and the non-government organizations have to play a significant role for the betterment of these orphans.”
Secretary to government, department of Social Welfare, M S Khan in his speech said that there has been an uncontrollable growth of orphanages in the State after the turmoil broke out in 1989.
“There are no clear guidelines for the registration of these organizations while social welfare department too has no legal basis for monitoring these organizations,” he said.
He said that after adopting the guidelines all orphanages will be required to register their centres with social welfare department.
In his address, CEO Save the Children, Thomas Chandy deliberated about the working of the organization in different parts of India and the world across.
Patron J&K Yateem Trust, Z A Tak and an orphan of Bait-ul-Hilal orphanage Rauf, also spoke at the function.
Later the CM also distributed cheques among the beneficiaries that included women and children at the function.
Take a look at the handbook published to ensure ideal standards of care in orphanages of J&K. Please click here to download
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