Mangalore: Charitable Trust Runs into Controversy over Registration Row
Pics: Savitha B R
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Apr 6: Youth Social Service Charitable Trust, a registered body run by Lancelot Pinto, corporator and opposition leader in the Mangalore City Corporation, is in the midst of a controversy over its registration.
On the evening of Wednesday April 6, some people alleged to be members of Bajrang Dal stopped the inmates of the trust, children belonging to poor families, from going home on school vacation, on the allegation that the Trust has been running without licence.
The ashram which is at Bejai here has been running for the past seven years and has benefitted almost 30 girls. It has been providing free education to poor girl students for the past many years and looks after their accommodation, clothing and food, free of cost. It houses both Christians and Hindus, and at present there are 18 students studying from 4th standard till 2nd PUC and a student is doing her diploma course. Among them 10 are Christians and 8 Hindus.
As per Lancelot Pinto, Christians go to church while Hindus pray at the ashram, and within the ashram too, separate arrangements have been made for spiritual requirements of each community.
However, though the trust is a registered body, it is not registered under women and child welfare department.
On April 6, arrangements were made to send 8 students to their native place, as they have school holidays. But most of the parents are poor and cannot afford to spend money on transport, so it was decided to send their children with the parent of a child.
When the person was booking tickets for the bus, they were not allowed to go by persons alleged to be Bajrang members, as per Lancelot Pinto. Gangadhar of child welfare department and Asha Nayak of child welfare committee arrived at the spot. Later, deputy director of women and child welfare department, Shakuntala, Asha Nayak and other members visited the ashram at Bejai along with the complainants.
Lancelot Pinto was present. Capt Ganesh Karnik, deputy chairman, NRI forum also visited. They carried out an inspection of the ashram.
The children have now been kept at Prajna Counselling Centre and at government hostel near Kuttar, Padavu. Parents have been called to identify their children and take them home.
A complaint has been lodged for running the ashram without licence and an enquiry is being carried out by Urwa police.