New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Friday directed for a comprehensive inquiry in the state of affairs of all shelter homes of the Delhi government,
including the deaths of inmates at the Asha Kiran facility in Rohini, and sought a report within a week, the Raj Niwas said in a statement.
He has asked for adequate compensation to be paid to the parents or guardians of the deceased inmates of the Asha Kiran shelter home, it said.
Saxena also sought action to be immediately initiated against the facility’s administrator.
The L-G has asked a white paper on the running of all shelter homes run by the Social Welfare department, Women and Child department and
DUSIB, including expenditure, facilities, number of inmates, medical facilities available may be prepared and submitted within three weeks, the
statement added.
14 deaths have been reported in a month at Asha Kiran, the Delhi government’s “home for the mentally challenged” in Rohini. The deceased include 13 adults and one minor.
The statement said that the LG took a grave view of the matter that pointed to “criminal negligence” on the part of the officials concerned.
“He has been dismayed by the fact that all the young inmates, who were suffering from severe intellectual disability lost their lives, apparently on account of the poor medical facilities, inadequate nutrition and poor water supply,” it said.
The LG has observed that “lack of sensitivity and absence of supervision” pointed not only to “dereliction of duty” but also an “act of criminality” against the most helpless and disadvantaged who were entrusted to the care of the government, the Raj Niwas commented.