A new boys’ observation home, a correctional facility, will come up on a two-acre plot of land in Sathgalli in Mysuru soon.
Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru K.V. Rajendra shared this information during an interaction between journalists and a delegation comprising member of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Anand and Chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) K. Naganna Gowda and others on Tuesday.
Mr. Rajendra’s disclosure came after Dr. Anand expressed concern over the inadequate space at the existing correctional facility near Vivekananda Circle in Vivekananda Nagar in Mysuru.
Two acres of land has been identified and the groundwork for construction of a 9-ft.-high compound hall has begun. The construction will be carried out as per the norms of a correctional facility that will keep in mind the requirements of children in conflict with law, requiring special care. The construction of the building will start soon, he said.
Presently, the Boys’ Observation Home at Vivekananda Nagar is set up on a rented place with only one toilet. The facility is now housing seven children.
Interacting with the reporters, Dr. Anand, however, expressed satisfaction with the food served at the correctional facility.
Dr. Anand, who was accompanied by KSCPCR Chairperson Naganna Gowda and other members, said he was visiting observation homes in 5 States viz. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana, besides thee Union Territory of Puducherry.
Though all the Observation Homes in the country are monitored by an app called MASI (abbreviation for Monitoring App for Seamless Inspection), developed by NCPCR, Dr. Anand said he was personally visiting the Observation Homes to study the ground realities and give necessary instructions to the authorities concerned.
Inadequate space was the most common problem faced in the Observation Homes. “If there is space for only 20 children, we find around 60 to 60 children are crammed in them”, he lamented.
He also complained about the absence of activity room and counselling rooms, which are mandatory as per the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Mr. Naganna Gowda said the authorities need to pay attention to the menace of child marriages. Preventing a child marriage was more important than booking cases after the crime, he said.
Mr. Rajendra said a total of 201 child marriages cases had been reported Mysuru district between April 2022 and January 2023, but 164 of them were stopped while 38 cases had been booked.
In the cases of child marriages, action will be taken even against the person printing the wedding cards, priests and the owner of the marriage choultry, he said.
He said the purpose of the delegation’s visit was to also ensure that the district administration is children-friendly. The administration has to ensure justice to victims of child abuse, children at the receiving end of domestic violence, besides children indulging in narcotics and substance abuse.
About 600 to 700 children are reportedly out of school in Mysuru district, he said.
