Our Correspondent

Kathua, January 3

The local orphanage from where minors facing exploitation were rescued last year has now been converted it into the naib tehsildar’s office. The step was taken after the district administration found that the home being run by Christian missionaries had been constructed on government land.

The orphanage came under spotlight in the first week of September last year when some girls and minor inmates had complained of exploitation. After registration of an FIR, the district administration had rescued 20 minor inmates from the orphanage and arrested its caretaker, Pastor Thomas Antony.

Since then, the orphanage was sealed by the administration but after scrutiny of revenue records, it was found that the two-storey building was build over one kanal of government land.

“As per our revenue records, we have found that the building, from where Pastor Anthony was running the orphanage, was built over government land,” Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Jatinder Mishra said.

He said nobody came forward to stake claim over the building. Even Pastor Anthony had failed to produce documents pertaining to the land and the building.

“There were apprehensions that the structure might be used again for some illegal purposes, so the administration has taken its possession and opened the office of the naib tehsildar,” Mishra said, adding that furniture and other material of the building was shifted to an orphanage in Kathua.