Question : Homes for Mentally Retarded Children

(a) whether the Government has set up children homes in various States including Madhya Pradesh for development and care of mentally retarded children;

(b) if so, the details thereof indicating the number of said homes set up by the Government during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;

(c) whether attention of the Government has been drawn to some reports that the mentally retarded children are not taken care of properly in the said homes; and

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the corrective measures taken in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

(a) & (b): Central Government is managing Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) now “Child Protection Services” under Integrated Child Development Scheme, and providing financial assistance to the States/UTs including Madhya Pradesh on sharing pattern for, inter-alia, undertaking a situational analysis of children in difficult circumstances, for setting up and maintenance of various types of Child Care Institutions (CCIs). Under the scheme institutional care is provided through CCIs, as a rehabilitative measure. The scheme provides additional financial support to the CCIs having children with special needs i.e. children who are either affected by substance abuse or who are mentally or physically challenged. Scheme provides for purchase of specialised equipments and materials like Psychological test materials, training materials for speech and language, teaching materials wheel chairs, crèches, etc. In these CCIs, children are provided age appropriate education either within the institution or outside in a formal education system through convergence with other schemes and programs of the Government or civil society. As per the information provided by the State/UT Governments, as on date, the number of CCIs having children with special needs run by the State/UTs along with the number of beneficiaries registered under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000/2015 in the country which are being supported under the ICPS, is Annexed.

(c) & (d): The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability (Divyangjan) (EPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has reported following compliant and status thereof:

Incident of death of 36 persons in Asha Kiran, an institution run by Department of Social Welfare, Govt. of NCT of Delhi published in the Newspaper report dated 12.02.2016 of Danik Jagran was brought to the notice of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD). The matter was taken up with Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Govt. of NCT of Delhi and Asha Kiran, Home for Mentally Challenged, Delhi, who replied vide their letter dated 02.08.2016. This was inturn sent to Deptt. of EPwD on 12.09.2016 by CCPD. Incident of death of 11 persons in Asha Kiran, an institution run by Department of Social Welfare, Govt. of NCT of Delhi published in the Newspaper report dated 01.02.2017 of Danik Jagran was brought to the notice of the CCPD. The matter was taken up with Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Govt. of NCT of Delhi and Administrator, Asha Kiran for Mentally Challenged, Delhi on 06.02.2017, who apprised the CCPD and D/o EPwD about the steps taken by them vide their letter dated 03.07.2017. Further CCPD had visited Mansik Vimandit Mahila Evam Bal Punarvas Kendra, Jamdole, Jaipur, Rajasthan on 7.05.2016 to see the overall condition of the centre and also to find out the cause of death of 12 inmates (09 female and 03 male) between 18.04.2016 to 28.04.2016. The report was submitted to D/o EPwD on 09.05.2016.


*******