June 2004

The Newsletter
(June 2004)

Ritinjali is Recognized as a Shelter Home: A copy of the Notification to be published in Delhi Gazette reads: 'In pursuance of the power delegated …under section 66 of Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act 2000, (56 of 2000) I, S.L.Bansal, Director (Social Welfare) hereby recognize the following Institution as Shelter Home under section 37(1) of the Act for the period of one year with immediate effect: - Ritinjali, K-99, 1st Street, Opp. IDBI Bank, Mahipalpur, New Delhi-110037'.

Ritinjali reached another milestone on June 11, 2004 with its long pending request of recognition for running a Shelter Home being finally granted by the Department of Social Welfare, Govt. of NCT.
With the grant of recognition, it is now time to understand its implications and the sharing of important information.

Prior to this, when Ritinjali had met the officials at Department of Social Welfare (DSW) on June 11, 2004 for collecting a copy of the Notification recognizing Ritinjali as a Shelter Home, he had spent considerable time trying to understand the practicalities involved and its implications while running of the same. Following was the information gathered from her:

There is a CWC (in Kasturba Niketan, behind Lajpat Nagar Central Market), which is a bench of magistrates of the rank of Metropolitan Magistrates in Delhi. Ritinjali (or any agency running a Shelter Home for children) is directly accountable to it.

They have to be informed about any major decisions.

Ritinjali is directly accountable to it.

If a child comes through any recognized agency, CWC has to be informed within 48 hours and the child has to be produced in front of CWC while the local police station has to be informed abut the same.

The role of Ritinjali would be: 1) to provide shelter to the boy; 2) to find out the antecedents and family of the boy and restore him; and 3) to find out a viable alternative (either adoption or Children's Home) if Ritinjali deems restoration unfit.

When asked, Mrs. Aggarwal said that the chances of restoration vis-à-vis other alternatives are 6:4.

She advised taking boys from a source, which has already verified the antecedents of the boy.

DSW is to be contacted with details of boys for a grant.

Grants are released (Rs. 450/- per child per month) at the end of every financial year or during the middle of it. They are usually reimbursements.