The Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra government to ensure that juveniles in shelter homes are imparted proper education and vocational training so that it becomes easy for them to socially integrate in the society at a later stage.
The suggestion came from a bench of justices V M Kanade and Reveti Mohite Dere which was hearing a suo motu petition of the dilapidated condition of Children’s Observation Home at Umerkhadi in Dongri in south Mumbai.
A committee appointed by high court to visit shelter homes today submitted a report enumerating difficulties faced by the authorities in providing social integration of juveniles.
The committee said that although psychiatrists are available, counsellors to guide them are not there in the shelter homes. Also, juveniles get food, clothing and shelter, there is lacunae in providing education as much facilities are not available. Also, not much of vocational training is given to them.
The high court took on record the report of the committee headed by Asha Bajpayee of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and asked the state government to file a reply within two weeks.
Earlier, the same bench had suggested the government to provide vocational training to juveniles in various courses so that their minds were occupied and they learn to be independent.
The bench had also expressed satisfaction over the condition of toilets and bathrooms and good food provided by the caterers following its orders.
The high court also noted that number of children had come down to 200 from 400 earlier by shifting inmates to other such institutions and said they were happy to learn that computer and carpentry training was being imparted to the children.
