WD&CW officials pulled up for tonsuring of Bala Sadan children

SCPCR pulls up WD&CW officers for tonsuring inmates of Bala Sadan without doctor's advice. Commission expresses anger over "inhuman act" & questions why children were tonsured without medical advice. Project director should visit home frequently to monitor health, food & security of inmates.

The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) has pulled up the Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) Department officers for tonsuring the inmates of Bala Sadan (Government Children’s Home), without the doctors advice.

The Commission conducted an inquiry on Wednesday into the alleged tonsuring of nine children by the staff in the children’s home on July 7 and 8. 

SCPCR Chairman, K. Appa Rao, members B. Padmavathi, G. Seetaram and J. Rajendra Prasad, expressed anger over the “inhuman act” and questioned on why the children, most of them Yanadi tribes, were tonsured without the doctor’s advice.

“The inmates of the Government Children’s Home, aged five to eight years, were tonsured without any reason. The home staff tried to hide the issue,” said Mr. Appa Rao.

“Under Section 34 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, medical officer should be appointed for providing medical aid to the children and under Section 39, steps should be taken for social reintegration and rehabilitation of the inmates, which was not being done,” said Ms. Padmavathi.

The project director should visit Bala Sadan frequently and monitor the health conditions, sanitation, quality of food and security of the inmates. But, no officers visited the home and health profiles of the children were not being maintained, said Mr. Seetaram.

The home superintendent said the children were tonsured due to lice, which was false, and ST children were tortured and insulted with the act. They were not convinced with the reasons given by the Bala Sadan staff over the inhuman act, the Commission members said.