By Alok Mohit
Patna, May 27: The Patna High Court has raised concerns about the functioning of childcare homes in Bihar and ordered thorough monthly inspections of these facilities across the state.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice Harish Kumar issued the order while hearing writ petitions alleging abuse of inmates. The court stated, “The allegations raised in the writ petitions and the instances of abuse of children pointed out, according to us, have been occasioned because of no proper supervision.” The court stressed the importance of proper supervision to prevent future instances of abuse.
The court directed district and sessions judges, along with district magistrates, to conduct monthly inspections of all observation homes and places of safety that house children in conflict with the law.
The order also mandated the formation of district-level committees to oversee childcare homes. These committees will be chaired by the district judge and will include members from the district administration, police department, medical field, child protection unit, and the district legal services authority.
These committees are required to inspect childcare homes monthly and submit reports to the Bihar State Legal Services Authority, which will then forward them to the Juvenile Justice Committee.
This order follows information from the State Child Protection Unit, which informed the court that there are 90 operational childcare institutions and one aftercare home in Bihar.
Previously, on February 23, the court had directed the state government’s counsel to file an affidavit specifying the number, names, and locations of care homes for the protection of both minor boys and girls, as well as those who have attained majority, in safety homes. This directive applied to both government-run and NGO-run institutions, with a two-week deadline for compliance.
In compliance with this order, government advocate Prashant Pratap informed the court that childcare facilities cater to two main categories of children: those in need of care and protection (CNCP) and those in conflict with the law (CCL).
Pratap reported that in the first category, there are 34 specialized adoption agencies in different districts, 22 children’s homes, and nine Vrind Ashray Grihs. In the second category, there are 20 observation homes, four places of safety in different districts of Bihar, and one special home in Patna.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 6.
