Child welfare home reopens in Old Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Oct. 15: The Malda district administration today reopened Sahapur Child Welfare Home in Old Malda after it was closed for three months.

Authorities had to shut down the state-run home on 3 July this year due to violence after Rajib Soren, a minor inmate, died from electrocution.

The district magistrate, Mr CR Das, officially reopened the home today and asked the home authorities to look after the inmates carefully.

After the closure of the home the district administration completed electric wiring. A toilet block and kitchen are under construction at present.

A police picket has been posted at the home to ward off any untoward incident.

The committee in charge of the welfare centre has decided not to allow 12 senior inmates who were arrested in July on charges of violence to return.

“They have been asked to take their belongings from the home at the earliest,” said the Malda SDO, Ms Arunima De, who is also the chairman of the home's managing committee.

A total of 35 inmates, below 18 years of age, belonging to economically backward class today came back to the home.

The chief of the Bharat Sebashram Sangha (BSS), an NGO close to the home, has been requested to supply breakfast and dinner for the present inmates till tomorrow. “The administration would pay the BSS. The home would supply food to the inmates normally from tomorrow onwards,” said the Malda SDO.