Child rights body finds misuse of funds by six childcare homes in Assam, Manipur

Guwahati: Apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has found the misuse of funds by six childcare institutions in Assam and Manipur on Friday.

These childcare institutions running under the aegis of Markazul Maarif, of which one home had received funding from an international NGO that is being probed for its alleged links with Al-Qaeda.

The commission had said that as per the information that is being made available to the inspection team, 778 children were residing in these homes. However, according to the information in the bio on the Lok Sabha website of MP Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, who has established the Darul Yatama homes mentions that 1,010 children live in these homes.

The inspection team was also informed that funds were being received from an international NGO IHH by one of the homes.

"The website of Markazul Maarif also states that it is housing 1,080 children. Therefore, there is a discrepancy in the number of children disclosed by these homes to the inspection team and that available on the website of the Markazul Maarif. It is important to investigate this discrepancy and find out the status of these 300 children," NCPCR had said.

The team had found a list of children who were the beneficiaries under the project. A list of children's names prepared in 2017 was also found. The names of these children were also sponsored by the organisation IHH.

The Turkey-based NGO, IHH, had been interrogated by the Turkish Law Enforcement Agencies for their alleged links with the Al-Qaeda.

The NCPCR had further said that nearly 300 children of these homes were unaccounted for and it is important to investigate their status.

The commission has strongly recommended the production of all children currently lodged in all the six homes before the Child Welfare Committee and shifting of these children from these homes to a suitable institution for them.

According to the inspection report made by NCPCR submitted to the Manipur and Assam governments, violation of several norms under the Juvenile Justice Act was found during the inspection carried between December 14 to 18.

The inspections were led by NCPCR following a complaint about irregularities in the functioning of these homes located in Dhubri, Goalpara and Nagaon in Assam and one in Thoubal in Manipur.

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