The Ministry of Human Services is expected to decide shortly in whose custody it would place the four children it rescued from dire circumstances at Pine Ground, Mahaicony Creek late last month.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand told Stabroek News that the children’s case will be up for review on Wednesday and a decision would be made then. She said it would be preferable for the children to be placed with a relative, rather than in an orphanage.
At present the children are still in the ministry’s custody and have had medical examinations, which found that except for malnourishment they are fine.
The children’s father Gupta Pooranmal, from whose care they were taken, is appealing for the children to be returned to him and according to the minister he is claiming that he has stopped drinking.
An uncle of the children, who lives in the same area as the father, has also indicated his willingness to take the children. Meanwhile, their mother, 22-year-old Ann Rosita Boodhoo, has stated that while she would love to have her children she cannot accommodate them at her present residence.
Stabroek News understands that the building of a house for the woman so she could take care of her children is not off the cards.
Ten-year-old Anita Pooranmal along with her siblings, Sanjay called Radesh, 9, Ritesha, 8, and Avinash, 7 were removed from the creek late last month when staff from the ministry visited and saw their condition.
This newspaper had reported that Anita had to tend to her siblings after their mother left them one year ago to escape from her alcoholic and abusive husband.
Boodhoo of Canal Number One Polder had eloped with Gupta at the age of 12. She had told this newspaper that since she moved with him to the creek she suffered hardship and abuse.
The day she walked out “for good” was the third day that she and her children had been without food. She said she begged the children to go with her but only Sanjay agreed.
The father subsequently took the children to stay with her but later returned for them.
After the children were removed, Gupta told this newspaper by telephone that he and his uncle Kesarchandra Kawal had gone to the ministry but the children were undergoing medical tests at the hospital and he did not get to see them. He was told that his children would not be sent back and he begged to have them back because he missed them.
Kawal had also said that Gupta was “crying” a lot for the children and gave the commitment that if they were returned he would help him to care for them.
Meanwhile, another uncle, Sewsankar, had said that persons were “blaming” him for the children being taken away.
The man maintained that all he did was to try to ensure a better life for the children as they did not deserve what they were going through and he could not see them suffering like that.
Relatives had said the older children were happy to go with the ministry officials as they understood that it was for their “betterment.”
