Sambalpur, April 7: The State Child Rights Protection Commission will recommend that the government close the orphanages and shelter homes in Sambalpur district which are not maintaining the standard guidelines properly.

The move has been initiated after sexual abuse was reported at the Baba Deep Jyoti Orphanage at Naxapali in Sambalpur on April 3.

The district police had raided the orphanage and rescued the 20 inmates. Police had also arrested the accused, Upendra Das, who was running the orphanage. Following the incident, the orphanage was shut down and the inmates were shifted to Rukmini Lath Balashram at Chachanpali.

The chairperson of Child Rights Protection Commission, Saraswati Hembram, and member Rajendra Meher met the victims and other inmates at Rukmini Lath Balashram. They also visited the closed orphanage at Naxapali and interacted with the local residents.

Expressing concern over the incident, member of Child Rights Protection Commission Rajendra Meher said: “The district administration and monitoring committee has not monitored the orphanage properly.”

“There are several recognised and unrecognised institutions in the district. We will recommend that the district administration visit the institutions with the help of the child welfare committee and verify whether the proper care mechanism is being followed. The institutions that are not following the child protection guidelines right be closed,” he said.

The commission will recommend that the government send the children to their biological parents. The families should be linked to family strengthening programme. The commission would also recommend that the government allow legal adoption of those children, said Meher.

Hembram said: “The girl who dared to reveal the sexual abuse incident shall be rewarded.” During the visit, Hembram met the district collector, superintendent of police and district social welfare officer to discuss the matter.