WCD department seeks information on 15 adoptions cleared by DMs

PUNE: The state Woman and Child Development (WCD) department has reached out to Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) for information on at least 15 adoption cases cleared by district magistrates (DMs) on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Bombay high court on Tuesday had stayed the implementation of the September 2022 notification that authorised district magistrates to oversee and decide about adoption cases. It directed that henceforth only a single-judge high court bench can hear adoption matters.

“Nearly 10 to 15 cases were cleared in two days by the magistrates in the state when the high court stayed the notification. In these cases, the adoptee parents and children may face legal issues in future and hence we have sought directions from CARA,” a senior WCD official told TOI on Thursday.

Eight cases were cleared by the district magistrate from Nagpur followed by the others, the official from the WCD department said.

The interim order also restrained the Centre and the adoption group of Maharashtra State Women’s Council from transferring any pending cases to district magistrates.

The official said 25-30 cases are pending. For Pune district, the official said most cases have been cleared. “The district magistrate in Pune has cleared 100 cases pending between three months and a year, and new cases,” the official added.

Parents waiting to adopt said that while they were hoping district magistrates would help clear cases quickly, the order may cause delays.

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