Here we get food, soap and rakhis, say rescued children
Out of Satkarm Balgriha orphanage, kids discover happiness at an Ulhasnagar welfare homeYogesh Sadhwani
Posted On Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 02:37:58 AM
Overnight, the world seems a lot rosier to the kids rescued on Monday from Satkarm Balgriha orphanage in Kavdas, 70 km from Mumbai. Suddenly, there is food, as much as they want, whenever they want.
There’s water for a bath, and with the luxury of soap and hair oil. And there is love. The boys, shifted to the State-run welfare home for the handicapped, in Ulhasnagar, couldn't stop flaunting the rakhis they got from the centre’s staff.
Of the 18 mentally-challenged kids rescued from Kavdas, five girls have been shifted to an Airoli-based NGO.
The Ulhasnagar centre accommodated 13 boys, of which six had to be rushed to the Ulhasnagar Central Hospital. For the remaining seven, life hasn't been this good in years.
The probation officer at the welfare centre, A S Sonar, said, “The children couldn't believe they could eat as much as they desired. Initially, they just pounced on the food, saying they had not eaten enough for the past few weeks.”
The thrilled children were only too happy to praise their new home. One of the rescued child, eight-year-old Navnath said, “At the orphanage, we were never given enough to eat. We would be screamed at if we asked for more food.”
Navnath's friend Pappau said, “We could not even take bath at the orphanage. But here, we even got soap and hair oil.”
The six boys admitted to the hospital were showing signs of improvement. Four of them - Sunny, Hitesh, Ameya and Gopal – were severely malnourished. The other two, Mahindra and Rahul, are completely out of danger.
Usha Rathod, a nurse attending to the kids, said, “The children were stinking and barely hanging on to life when they were wheeled in late on Monday.”
Hospital superintendent Dr S L Waghmare said the boys suffered from weeks of dehydration, and blood supply to brain was greatly reduced. He said, “Four kids were extremely critical.
A couple of them suffer from tuberculosis, but we do not want to draw their blood samples now as they are very weak.”
One of the rescued kids at a hospital in Ulhasnagar. The others, shifted to a welfare centre (right) are thrilled with the turn their lives have taken. They even celebrated Rakshabandhan with the staff
Did Satkarm fudge papers for official status?
Yogesh Sadhwani 
Posted On Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 02:38:00 AM
Following Monday's rescue of five malnourished children from Satkarm Balgriha orphanage, it has emerged that the institute, 70 km from Mumbai, obtained government recognition on November 26 last year despite not fulfilling official guidelines.
Officials believe a combination of fake documents and fudged claims of facilities may have earned the orphanage - where five children died a few months ago - the government stamp.
While the Child Welfare Committee made a surprise visit to the orphanage in July, the Women and Child Welfare Department, which accorded recognition to the centre, undertook an official inspection of the place only on August 4 this year.
It has also come to light that the orphanage borrowed its name from an NGO called Satkarm Balgriha; it was registered as Matimand Muli Va Mulinche Balgruh, and run by Adivasi Magaswargiya Krishi Sanstha.
As per the guidelines set by the Juvenile Justice Act of 2002, an orphanage for mentally-challenged kids must provide each inmate a minimum of 55 sq ft space, bed for each inmate, separate wash-rooms for boys and girls, a doctor on 24x7 availability and a proper kitchen.
The orphanage in Kavdas was spread across just five rooms, which doubled up as classrooms and kitchen too.
The rooms were strewn with unwashed utensils, there was obviously no sign of a permanent doctor at the centre, and investigations have revealed that the centre had a staff of 10, contrary to its claim of 24 full-time employees.
It was the Child Welfare Committee and Women and Child Welfare Department's responsibility to ensure the guidelines were met before granting the centre recognition.
The institution gets Rs 1,150 per child per month post recognition. The centre in question was granted permission to admit 50 children.
Sanjay Shinde, district officer, Women and Child Welfare Depart-ment, said, “I was not the one who inspected the place. The orphanage management may have fudged the facilities and records to get money from the state.”
The department’s deputy commissioner, Harish Rathod, said an inquiry was on. “We need to know how this centre was cleared by our district staff,” he said.
The guidelines state such institutes should be inspected twice to ensure all norms are followed. However, the Kavdas orphanage was inspected only on August 4, after five deaths were reported there.
Shinde said, “After my visit there on August 4, I had recommended that this centre be shut.”
Section Officer Pramod Valanj said a high-level inquiry has been ordered to probe the centre's credentials. Investigations are also on to find out how much money the trustees collected. Shinde said, “We suspect money was collected in the name of the inmates and funds siphoned off.”
Satkarm Balgriha in Kavdas is spread over five filthy rooms. It fulfilled none of the criteria required to get official status, but it got State recognition in Nov 2009
Readers respond
Aren’t we mentally challenged?
The children aren’t mentally challenged, we are. For electing a bunch of clowns who are more concerned about their monthly pay than the state. Why didn’t the concerned ministry take any action after the death of the five children? Either they do not get reports on time or they are too callous to act on them. People responsible for these deaths should be immediately arrested. The CWC, WCD should be disbanded too.
- Omkar Wagle
Save them physical assault
The picture of the malnourished kid holding few biscuits and with minimal clothing brought tears in my eyes. Can someone ensure that these kids won’t be exploited physically? I request you to continue with your investigation.
- Munmun Dutta
Shame on the babus
This report raises many questions on the government welfare schemes. In this case no one seems to be bothered about the plight and welfare of the orphans. The officials are interested only in self welfare. Shame on the babus for showing apathy towards these hapless souls.
- Vanita S Shenoy
Here we get food, soap and rakhis, say rescued children
Out of Satkarm Balgriha orphanage, kids discover happiness at an Ulhasnagar welfare homeYogesh Sadhwani Posted On Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 02:37:58 AM
Overnight, the world seems a lot rosier to the kids rescued on Monday from Satkarm Balgriha orphanage in Kavdas, 70 km from Mumbai. Suddenly, there is food, as much as they want, whenever they want.
There’s water for a bath, and with the luxury of soap and hair oil. And there is love. The boys, shifted to the State-run welfare home for the handicapped, in Ulhasnagar, couldn't stop flaunting the rakhis they got from the centre’s staff.
Of the 18 mentally-challenged kids rescued from Kavdas, five girls have been shifted to an Airoli-based NGO.
The Ulhasnagar centre accommodated 13 boys, of which six had to be rushed to the Ulhasnagar Central Hospital. For the remaining seven, life hasn't been this good in years.
The probation officer at the welfare centre, A S Sonar, said, “The children couldn't believe they could eat as much as they desired. Initially, they just pounced on the food, saying they had not eaten enough for the past few weeks.”
The thrilled children were only too happy to praise their new home. One of the rescued child, eight-year-old Navnath said, “At the orphanage, we were never given enough to eat. We would be screamed at if we asked for more food.”
Navnath's friend Pappau said, “We could not even take bath at the orphanage. But here, we even got soap and hair oil.”
The six boys admitted to the hospital were showing signs of improvement. Four of them - Sunny, Hitesh, Ameya and Gopal – were severely malnourished. The other two, Mahindra and Rahul, are completely out of danger.
Usha Rathod, a nurse attending to the kids, said, “The children were stinking and barely hanging on to life when they were wheeled in late on Monday.”
Hospital superintendent Dr S L Waghmare said the boys suffered from weeks of dehydration, and blood supply to brain was greatly reduced. He said, “Four kids were extremely critical.
A couple of them suffer from tuberculosis, but we do not want to draw their blood samples now as they are very weak.”
One of the rescued kids at a hospital in Ulhasnagar. The others, shifted to a welfare centre (right) are thrilled with the turn their lives have taken. They even celebrated Rakshabandhan with the staff
Here we get food, soap and rakhis, say rescued children
Out of Satkarm Balgriha orphanage, kids discover happiness at an Ulhasnagar welfare home
Yogesh Sadhwani
Posted On Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 02:37:58 AM
Overnight, the world seems a lot rosier to the kids rescued on Monday from Satkarm Balgriha orphanage in Kavdas, 70 km from Mumbai. Suddenly, there is food, as much as they want, whenever they want. There’s water for a bath, and with the luxury of soap and hair oil. And there is love. The boys, shifted to the State-run welfare home for the handicapped, in Ulhasnagar, couldn't stop flaunting the rakhis they got from the centre’s staff. Of the 18 mentally-challenged kids rescued from Kavdas, five girls have been shifted to an Airoli-based NGO. The Ulhasnagar centre accommodated 13 boys, of which six had to be rushed to the Ulhasnagar Central Hospital. For the remaining seven, life hasn't been this good in years. The probation officer at the welfare centre, A S Sonar, said, “The children couldn't believe they could eat as much as they desired. Initially, they just pounced on the food, saying they had not eaten enough for the past few weeks.”The thrilled children were only too happy to praise their new home. One of the rescued child, eight-year-old Navnath said, “At the orphanage, we were never given enough to eat. We would be screamed at if we asked for more food.” Navnath's friend Pappau said, “We could not even take bath at the orphanage. But here, we even got soap and hair oil.” The six boys admitted to the hospital were showing signs of improvement. Four of them - Sunny, Hitesh, Ameya and Gopal – were severely malnourished. The other two, Mahindra and Rahul, are completely out of danger. Usha Rathod, a nurse attending to the kids, said, “The children were stinking and barely hanging on to life when they were wheeled in late on Monday.” Hospital superintendent Dr S L Waghmare said the boys suffered from weeks of dehydration, and blood supply to brain was greatly reduced. He said, “Four kids were extremely critical. A couple of them suffer from tuberculosis, but we do not want to draw their blood samples now as they are very weak.”
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Did Satkarm fudge papers for official status?
Yogesh Sadhwani
Posted On Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 02:38:00 AM
Following Monday's rescue of five malnourished children from Satkarm Balgriha orphanage, it has emerged that the institute, 70 km from Mumbai, obtained government recognition on November 26 last year despite not fulfilling official guidelines. Officials believe a combination of fake documents and fudged claims of facilities may have earned the orphanage - where five children died a few months ago - the government stamp. While the Child Welfare Committee made a surprise visit to the orphanage in July, the Women and Child Welfare Department, which accorded recognition to the centre, undertook an official inspection of the place only on August 4 this year. It has also come to light that the orphanage borrowed its name from an NGO called Satkarm Balgriha; it was registered as Matimand Muli Va Mulinche Balgruh, and run by Adivasi Magaswargiya Krishi Sanstha. As per the guidelines set by the Juvenile Justice Act of 2002, an orphanage for mentally-challenged kids must provide each inmate a minimum of 55 sq ft space, bed for each inmate, separate wash-rooms for boys and girls, a doctor on 24x7 availability and a proper kitchen. The orphanage in Kavdas was spread across just five rooms, which doubled up as classrooms and kitchen too. The rooms were strewn with unwashed utensils, there was obviously no sign of a permanent doctor at the centre, and investigations have revealed that the centre had a staff of 10, contrary to its claim of 24 full-time employees. It was the Child Welfare Committee and Women and Child Welfare Department's responsibility to ensure the guidelines were met before granting the centre recognition. The institution gets Rs 1,150 per child per month post recognition. The centre in question was granted permission to admit 50 children. Sanjay Shinde, district officer, Women and Child Welfare Depart-ment, said, “I was not the one who inspected the place. The orphanage management may have fudged the facilities and records to get money from the state.” The department’s deputy commissioner, Harish Rathod, said an inquiry was on. “We need to know how this centre was cleared by our district staff,” he said. The guidelines state such institutes should be inspected twice to ensure all norms are followed. However, the Kavdas orphanage was inspected only on August 4, after five deaths were reported there. Shinde said, “After my visit there on August 4, I had recommended that this centre be shut.” Section Officer Pramod Valanj said a high-level inquiry has been ordered to probe the centre's credentials. Investigations are also on to find out how much money the trustees collected. Shinde said, “We suspect money was collected in the name of the inmates and funds siphoned off.”
Readers respond Aren’t we mentally challenged? The children aren’t mentally challenged, we are. For electing a bunch of clowns who are more concerned about their monthly pay than the state. Why didn’t the concerned ministry take any action after the death of the five children? Either they do not get reports on time or they are too callous to act on them. People responsible for these deaths should be immediately arrested. The CWC, WCD should be disbanded too. - Omkar Wagle Save them physical assault The picture of the malnourished kid holding few biscuits and with minimal clothing brought tears in my eyes. Can someone ensure that these kids won’t be exploited physically? I request you to continue with your investigation. - Munmun Dutta Shame on the babus This report raises many questions on the government welfare schemes. In this case no one seems to be bothered about the plight and welfare of the orphans. The officials are interested only in self welfare. Shame on the babus for showing apathy towards these hapless souls. - Vanita S Shenoy |
Rescue sham: Why did they take so long to wake up?
Authorities make big show of shutting down Thane children’s home after our shocking story of starvation and death. But they were aware of the situation for almost 2 months
Yogesh Sadhwani and Bapu Deedwania
Posted On Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 02:56:42 AM
Eighteen children between 5 and 15 were 'rescued' on Monday evening after this newspaper reported on their enfeebled and neglected condition at Shahpur's Satkarm Balgriha. The government-run Child Welfare Committee members dressed them up, some of them in mismatched clothing, packed their meager belongings - one of them only had a half-eaten packet of biscuits that this newspaper's journalists had offered him on Sunday - and bundled them in a creaking Sumo. Wide-eyed and huddled together, their stick-thin elbows digging into each other, they acquiesced without question. These children, all of them certified mentally retarded, are being accommodated in whichever orphanage in the city will take them. Having done their duty, the CWC members will no doubt sleep smug. For newspapers, including this one, there will be other stories to follow. In the bustle of our get-on-with-it ethos, the deaths of five such children at the same Satkarm Balgriha (no irony intended), will be forgotten. For the record, a small footnote to prove they had existed , these children were, Sameer, 14; Pavan 15; Divya, 12; Deepak, age unknown; and Ramu, about whom the only fact known is that in addition to being mentally retarded he was also deaf and mute. Between the months of June and July 2010, these children died due to severe malnutrition. The fact was duly brought to the notice of CWC chief Sai Jadhav, who told this newspaper: “After the first death was reported to me, I came to know that the situation at the orphanage was pathetic, and I warned the founder of the orphanage that they would have to take all possible care and precaution so that no more kids took ill.”
The founder of Satkarm Balgriha, Pundalik Bole claims that he never got any government grant and that he had spent Rs 3 lakh from the time the orphanage started in November, 2009. In fact, the orphanage administrator Jitendra Chavan had told this newspaper on Sunday not to pay any attention to the emaciated form of the children. “They're fed eggs for breakfast and mutton for lunch. They don't know how much to eat and how to interact with strangers.” For his part, Sai Jadhav insisted that he had also been waiting for the Women and Child Welfare Department to take the lead in the issue. Both WCD and the Child Welfare Committee are not small, fly-by-night entities. The WCD comes directly under the state government's Welfare ministry, and has an annual budget of nearly Rs 40 crores. The CWC is quasi-judicial body with branches in every district, its chief enjoys the privileges of a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), giving him the authority to pass a prison sentence of up to three years under the Juvenile Justice Act. The bodies, therefore, have access to both funds and power. So what were they waiting for? When we reached the Satkarm Balgriha on Sunday, apart from the five children who had died, five others were seriously ill and on the brink of death. These children - Gopal, 8, Ameya, 8, Sunny, 9, Hitesh, 5, and Dipika, 12 - had not been taken to hospital, and were isolated in a dark room where they ate, slept, and defecated. Hitesh, whose picture you saw on page 1 yesterday, weakly hobbled around the room without underwear, grasping the packet of biscuit with rough eagerness. On Monday, as they were being taken away someone procured a bright sky blue skirt to cover his unmentionables. In the Sumo, one of the girls, barely a few years older than him, held him in a protective embrace as the car door shut. Some time later they were separated. The girl was one of the five sent to a welfare home for mentally challenged children in Airoli. All the 13 boys, Hitesh included, were packed off to a state-run home in Ulhasnagar which has no facility to deal with children with special needs. How you can help them  Posted On Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 02:24:18 AM
No home for these childrenAuthorities rescue inmates of Satkarm Balgriha, but send most of them off to orphanages ill-equipped to handle the mentally challenged Posted On Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 02:24:16 AM
Kids moved; temporary measure, say authoritiesYogesh Sadhwani and Bapu Deedwania Posted On Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 02:24:14 AM
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Given the circumstances, here is what social welfare experts say you can do:
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Ameya, 8 years
Hitesh, 5 years
Deepika, 12 years
Look at this picture. The founder of Satkarm orphanage, where they are living for the past many months, claims Rs 3 lakh have been spent on these kids in the past 10 months. That means Rs 30,000 per month. How believable is that? The founder, Pundalik Bole, gave one more statement which should make the authorities do whatever it takes to shift every single kid out of the orphanage. Reacting to the District Child Welfare Committee’s decision to shut the centre after finding five children there on the brink of death, Bole unabashedly said, “Take them (the inmates) away. In any case, I am not gaining anything out of them.” If the sole intention of the orphanage’s head is to gain something out of the poor children, without caring one bit about their health, what can one expect from the staff? On Sunday, Mumbai Mirror found five children, Gopal, 8, Ameya, 8, Sunny, 9, Hitesh, 5, and Dipika, 12, barely dressed, unwashed and hungry. They were isolated in a dark room, where they sleep and even defecate. The condition of children at the orphanage had no effect on Bole, who only talked about not receiving any money from the government. He said, “I started the orphanage in 2009, and was promised grants within weeks of the launch. I tried my best to take care of the children, spending over Rs 3 lakh in the last 10 months. Had I received the grant, I would have been able to offer much more to these kids.” He said that the five children who died at the orphanage, and the ones malnourished, were brought to the centre in declining health. However, a picture of Gopal nails Bole’s lies. In the picture, taken six months ago when Gopal was brought to the orphanage, he is looking a lot happier than he is now. But Bole remained adamant. “Those who died, and the ones malnourished, were brought here ill. It’s not correct to say their health declined here,” he said. There was no end to Bole’s blame game; he didn’t even spare the doctors. He said, “I took every sick child to a state-run clinic close to the orphanage but the doctors didn’t treat the children properly.”
Readers respond More homes like this  This is with reference to the story 'Orphanage Hell' (MM, Aug 23). It was horrifying to see small children in such inhuman conditions. The picture of five-year-old Hitesh speaks a lot. It makes me tremble to think that many more such homes exist all over the country. It is sad to see that we tend to care more for our pets than these orphans and politicians care more for filling their pockets than feeding the hungry. - Aditi Debnath Question the men at Mantralaya The news report is shocking, the pictures are graphic and signifies unspeakable cruelty. The orphanage authorities should be severely punished. If their claims that no funds have come from the State is true, the men sitting at the Mantralaya should be questioned too. - Xavier Louis Fed eggs for breakfast? I am appalled by the cruelty of administrators like Jitendra Chavan. These children were denied treatment because the orphanage had no money. Even worse was his statement that those children were being fed eggs for breakfast and mutton for lunch. If you look at the picture of five-year-old Hitesh, it looks like he hasn’t been fed for weeks. - Debra GomesGovernment should be ashamed The children who died were not suffering from any life-threatening ailments when they were sent to the facility. It's a matter of great shame that this government-recognised facility has not received any funds from Maharashtra government for the past few months. - Hansraj BhatWe want to help these children I would like to help these kids in whatever way I can. Can you tell me the procedure for the same? I will be thankful. - Pradnya More Authorities knew, but let the children dieYogesh Sadhwani and Bapu Deedwania Posted On Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 02:24:20 AM
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Dr Sai Jadhav, chairperson, CWC, Thane, admitted that she was informed about the first death a couple of months ago. “It was brought to my notice that the kids had taken ill because of the condition they were kept in.
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