District Child Protection Unit left high and dry after the demolition of its office

District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) staff in Royapuram struggle to find office space after building demolition. GCC support awaited.

The office building of the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) in Royapuram has been demolished. However, the staff have nowhere to go as an alternative office has not been found due to the non-availability of vacant buildings, according to the unit’s officials.

The DCPU North and DCPU South share an office, and after Cyclone Mandous, the condition of the dilapidated building worsened. An order had already been passed to build a new structure. “We have been searching for a new office to move into for the past year. However, we could not find any accommodation. We have raised the issue and requested the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) too to allot a building,” said an official from the DCPU.

At present, the 22 staff of both units are cooped up in two small buildings, of which one does not have electricity or internet. Both the buildings do not have water supply or toilets. Pointing to a half-demolished structure with only a wall standing, an official stated that it was the toilet until the water supply stopped and the walls were demolished. “This has been the case for the past two weeks since the demolition started. There was a 15-day notice period but there are no buildings to shift into,” the official added. On the lookout for a 600 sq.ft structure and with a budget of ₹30,000 for rent, the team said every landlord they approached was asking for an advance, for which they did not have the provision.

Further, the DCPU South unit has been looking for an office in the southern parts of the city since 2022. But it continues to operate from the Royapuram office and is now looking to move with the DCPU North unit. “The DCPU South unit does not have a rent allowance. We have been searching in vain for an office in south Chennai since 2022,” an official said. Though a request is pending with the GCC, the DCPU officials are unsure of their next move. “In about a week, we might not even have these buildings to house us or the files,” the official added.

“The GCC will definitely look into their request, and if an appropriate space is available with the GCC, we will support the DCPU,” said G.S. Sameeran, GCC Joint Commissioner (Works).