Asha Kiran Home horror: Chief secretary submits initial report

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s chief secretary M M Kutty has submitted a preliminary report on the death of inmates at the Asha Kiran Home Complex to CM Arvind Kejriwal. Expressing shock at the findings of the Delhi Commission for Women, the CM had directed the CS to submit a report by Monday evening on the role of the current social welfare secretary Dilraj Kaur in the running of this facility.The report is now under scrutiny and decisions on fixing responsibility will follow once the CS submits a detailed report by February 13.
The CM had sought by Monday evening a report on how many times did the secretary social welfare/WCD visit Asha Kiran Home and other two facilities for the mentally challenged in the past; dates of visit and her observations. “Why did secretary social welfare/WCD not bring it to the notice of the government about the deaths. What steps did she take when each death was brought to her notice? What steps did she take to prevent these serious lapses,” the CM asked.
Meanwhile, deputy CM Manish Sisodia asked the authorities to provide CCTV footage of the Asha Kiran complex to see the state of affairs over the past few days to understand where the problem lies and what corrective measures are required. On Monday, after his visit to the home Sisodia told TOI that overcrowding was a problem, which needed attention and infrastructure enhancement would be a focus area. The government will be exploring various options to improve the situation at the complex, he assured.