A team consisted of Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) and Manipur Police (Investigation Division) headed by MHRC chairperson UB Saha and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mamata Wahengbam inspected Old Age Home cum Day Care Centre at Monsangei, Imphal West and Senior Citizen’s Home in Wangbal and Sangaiyumpham, Thoubal district on Tuesday.
Both homes are run by Integrated Rural Development and Educational Organisation, New Integrated Rural Management Agency respectively.
During the visit, the team assessed the facilities provided by the old age homes and the children's home including food, accommodation and healthcare.
The team interacted with the people staying at Old Age Home cum Day Care Centre at Monsangei, Imphal West. During the interaction, secretary of the home BK Sarma briefed the MHRC team about the home and the inmates.
He informed that there were altogether 15 persons taking shelter at the home, of which 13 had donated their bodies to JN Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS). A formal agreement was signed between the Home and JNIMS authority on this matter, he added.
BK Singh further highlighted that the home received grants from the government which he stopped taking as it was proving difficult to operate the home on the governmental grant. At Thoubal district, the MHRC team found that both homes were run with grants from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
One Kh Kumar Singh who ran the Integrated Rural Development and Educational Organisation, Wangbal highlighted that altogether 25 aged persons were currently staying at the home.
Meanwhile, the residents of the home informed the team that there were regular medical check-ups at the shelter and that they are happy with the facilities at the home.
In the last leg of the inspection, the MHRC team visited the Senior Citizen’s Home run by the New Integrated Rural Management Agency, Sangaiyumpham.
The MHRC chairperson expressed discontentment with how the home was operated and lamented that no relevant authority had visited the home.
Altogether, there were 50 persons staying at the home. Later on, the team also inspected the Women Police Station, Thoubal and Thoubal Police Station. The MHRC chairperson pointed out the lack of proper infrastructure at the police station and expressed disappointment with the backlog FIRs of murder cases.
It was found that some cases which were registered way back in 1993 were still pending at the police station. “Even though the SP visits the police stations, it is apparent that the SP did not assess the pendency of cases in the police stations.” Saha said.
