SHILLONG: The proposal for construction of a permanent juvenile home at Mawdiangdiang is still hanging fire despite the fact that the Social Welfare Department had submitted the concept paper for the juvenile home way back in 2010, official sources revealed on Friday.
The sources informed the Social Welfare Department has erred in its responsibility of preparing a full-fledged Detailed Project Report (DPR) after the concept paper was accepted by the State Government.
The sources further revealed that the State Government had allotted five acres of land at Mawdiangdiang for the purpose custody of which has already been taken by the department.
It may be reminded that at present the juvenile home is being run in a rented house at Cleve Colony.
“The existing juvenile home can accommodate about 40 inmates in one go,” the officials said, while admitting that the place is too congested and has no space for the inmates to get involved in 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 get involved with farming activities during their tenure in the juvenile home,” the official sources added.
