By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The proposal for construction of a permanent juvenile home at Mawdiangdiang is still hanging fire despite the passage of several years.
Official sources on Monday informed that the State Government is still examining the concept paper regarding construction of the juvenile home, which was submitted in 2010.
According to official sources, the department was supposed to prepare a full-fledged Detailed Project Report (DPR) after the Government accepted the concept paper.
“Sadly, the Government is still examining the concept paper,” the official sources informed.
Meanwhile, the sources said that the State Government has already allotted five acres of land at Mawdiangdiang for the purpose.
“The land is in the custody of the Social Welfare department,” official sources said.
It may be reminded that at present the juvenile home is being operated from a rented house at Cleve Colony.
“The existing juvenile home can accommodate about 40 inmates in one go,” the sources said, while admitting that the place is too congested with no proper space for the inmates for outdoor activities.
Not only this, being an old wooden house, the structure of the building has also become very weak, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the sources also informed that the department is planning to construct two separate homes – one for the boys and the other for girls – in the proposed land at Mawdiangdiang.
In this new permanent structure, there would proper space allotted for the inmates for their outdoor activities, official sources said.
“We are also aiming to reserve some land for agricultural purpose. The basic idea of this is to teach the inmates to do some farming during their tenure in the juvenile home,” the sources added.