State to set up six new adoption centres

Kolkata: Minister of state (independent charge) for Women & Child Development & Social Welfare Shashi Panja on Tuesday said the government is setting up six new adoption centres in the state.

The state presently has 24 adoption centres covering all the districts in the state that are managed by non-governmental organisations. However, the entire funding for functioning of these centres are borne by the state government.

"The six new centres will come up in Paschim Medinipur, Alipurduar, Hooghly, Howrah, Jalpaiguri and Purulia. It will be directly managed and financed by the government," said Panja.

The minister on Tuesday inaugurated a new adoption centre at Manikpara in Jhargram. "This adoption centre meets all the criteria of The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015," Panja said. The Jhargram adoption centre has 10 children.

The minister will hold district level meeting on review of Adoption and ICDS matters in the district on Wednesday with all the concerned officials. The various schemes like Kanyashree, Rupasree and Manobik will be reviewed by the minister.

The adoption centres in the state take care of a child up to an age of six and during this period it ensures that it is handed over to a couple who wants to adopt the child.