Chandigarh social welfare committee to look into missing children cases

UT Social Welfare Committee has decided to conduct a thorough investigation into the city’s missing children and asked the administration for specific information in this respect.

In a meeting under the chairmanship of former MP Satya Pal Jain on Saturday, the committee was told that out of all the children who went missing from Chandigarh till now, 51 are still missing with the rest having been traced.

The committee has requested that police provide detailed information about the 51 children and their families so that the members of the committee can meet with these families, learn more about the issue and determine the causes behind these disappearances.

To address issues faced by transgenders

Two representatives from the transgender community attended the meeting. As per the administration, the city is home to around 140 people from the transgender community. Officials said that the committee will hold a meeting with them to address their issues after gathering sufficient information.

UT health department informed the committee that shortage of manpower is significantly hampers its ability to operate OPDs at the dispensaries during the night.

Following up on the committee’s suggestion to establish another old age home in the city, the administration has identified 1.2 acres of land in Sector 34. The home is expected to provide accommodation for 100 persons. The architecture department has received a proposal in this regard.

The committee also decided that the location of Mazdoor Bhawan should be at Labour Chowk, Sector 44, where thousands of labourers congregate every day in quest of employment.

The committee praised the administration for notifying the public of the Shagun scheme, which will provide poor families’ daughters with “Shagun” payments of ₹31,000 at the time of marriage.