– Ronita Torcato

In the eastern suburb of Deonar in Mumbai, the renowned Children’s Aid Society (CAS) — an undertaking of the Government of Maharashtra — has functioned for nearly a century as a guardian of the region’s most vulnerable youth. Established in 1927, the Society operates several institutions across the city to provide shelter and education to children who need it the most.

The network of institutions includes
the David Sassoon Industrial School, Matunga, the Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Home for Disabled Children, an Observation Home & Children’s Homes at Umarkhadi, Chembur and Mankhurd.

But as the Society approaches its historic centenary, it remains under siege from encroachment, its infrastructure in urgent need of an overhaul.

Now, a redevelopment plan aims to reclaim the land, and formalise the institution’s status.

At a CAS governing board meeting held at the Vidhan Bhavan, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis laid out a roadmap to revitalise the Society.

“Encroachments on the land of the Children’s Aid Society in Mumbai must be removed immediately,” Fadnavis said, instructing officials to protect the reclaimed plots for comprehensive redevelopment envisaging a state-of-the-art space.

Top officials in attendance included additional chief secretary (Finance) O.P. Gupta, and Mumbai suburban district collector Saurabh Katiyar, as well as Children’s Aid Society president Milind Talaskar and chief officer Praveen Bhavsar, among others.

The proposed transformation spans several sites across Mumbai:

Matunga: The current employee settlement building near the David Sassoon Industrial School will make way for ‘Ahilya Bhavan’—an administrative complex designed to house the offices of the Women and Child Development Department.

Mankhurd: The sprawling complex is set to be transformed into a modern “Child Welfare City.” This includes upgrading the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Home for Disabled Children with top-tier facilities. A sports complex will also be relocated to newly cleared land within this zone.

Borla & Anushakti Nagar: Encroachments will be cleared to fast-track redevelopment, ensuring displaced government offices are properly relocated to designated spaces.

To bolster vocational training, the board approved a new welding certificate course at the Society ’s Industrial Training Institute.

Chief minister Fadnavis directed that a proposal to recognise the ITI as a certified examination centre should be immediately submitted to the Skill Development Department.

A significant shift discussed at the meeting which was attended by child development minister Aditi Tatkare and Mayor Ritu Tawde among others, was the official recognition of The Children’s Aid Society itself.

Fadnavis instructed officials to submit a revised proposal, verified by the Law and Justice Department, to recognise the Society as a government institution.

A structural review of the CAS will be conducted by the Women and Child Development Department, led by secretary Dr. Anup Kumar Yadav, with a view to optimising all staff posts dedicated to the protection, education, and welfare of children.

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