Security has been tightened at Mose Ministries Home here, following the stiff resistance to an order on shifting a group of girls to a Government- run home in Thanjavur,
According to sources, nine out of 83 girls staying in the home, which is being run under the supervisory control of the District Social Welfare Department, reportedly flew to Chennai a few days ago without getting permission from the authorities and returned home after three days. Claiming that they violated the Supreme Court order, A. Thameemunisa, District Social Welfare Officer, passed an order on Wednesday to shift nine girls to the Government Service Home of the department in Thanjavur. Since they refused to accept the order, the authorities stuck it on the home.
A group of officials went to the home to execute the order. But, they could not find the girls in the home. A group of other girls raised objections to the order and refused to heed the pleas of the officials. The visibly angry girls raised objection, following which the police stepped up security around the home.
Ms. Thameemunisa told The Hindu that the girls had flown to Chennai and flown back to Tiruchi. They were not supposed to go out without getting permission.
They failed to provide a proper reply on expenditure for their Chennai visit. Hence, in her capacity as the Purview Officer, she had passed an order to shift nine girls for violation.
They would be shifted to Thanjavur soon, she said.
But, the girls have denied the charges of the social welfare officials and filed a petition against the shifting order before the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Thursday.
N. Ananthapadmanaban, a lawyer representing the girls, said that they had the liberty to move around as they were majors. They had not violated the Supreme Court order. They had gone out only after providing details in the movement registry kept at the home, he maintained.
