By Express News Service

SRIKAKULAM: The Child Welfare Committee inspected Saranya Manovikas Kendra, a child care institute (CCI) run by Yenda Sridevi in the town, and found glaring irregularities, including forced prostitution and domestic labour.

After finding gross violation of norms, District Child Welfare Committee chairman G Narasimha Murthy recommended criminal action against the organiser of the CCI under the Juvenile Justice Act. Some of the inmates in the CCI are more than 40-year-old, which are against the norms, he said.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Narasimha Murthy said the committee asked officials to close down the CCI and shift the children to the homes run by the government. Elaborating on the inspection, he said the organiser was pocketing the social security pension of the mentally challenged children.

A 17-year-old speech impaired girl was shifted to the CCI after completion of class V from a village in Nandigam mandal seven years ago. As she wanted to continue her studies, parents shifted her to Saranya Mano Vikas Kendra in Srikakulam. The girl was forced to do domestic chores in the CCI. Later, she was sent to the house of Sridevi’s daughter Budumuru Sailaja for domestic work. She was forced into prostitution for making money.

The girl said she underwent abortion twice. Similarly, a few other girls were also forced into flesh trade by the organiser, he said. The committee recorded statements of several inmates regarding the physical, mental and sexual harassment that was taking place in the CCI.

Anomalies galore

Saranya Mano Vikas Kendra organiser Yenda Sridevi registered herself as the guardian of the children for receiving their pension amount. Although two institutions were registered for boys and girls separately in the name of Saranya Mano Vikas Kendra, the organisers are maintaining only one CCI for both boys and girls