The Centre has asked all states and union territories to inspect childcare institutions and submit a report by September 15, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi said on Thursday.

The Centre, in consultation with states and union territories earlier this year, found that 7,109 child shelters across the country are registered under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, The Hindu quoted her as saying.

“The Centre has relentlessly pursued with the state governments to register all child care institutions by December last year,” Gandhi told the Rajya Sabha, IANS reported. “As an outcome, 7,109 child care institutions are reported to have been registered while 401 are reportedly under process.”

The Centre has shut down 28 specialised adoption agencies in six states based on allegations of illegal adoptions, child abuse and violation of norms prescribed by the Juvenile Justice Act, Gandhi said. The minister also requested parliamentarians to visit shelter homes once in a while to examine the living conditions and care provided to children.

The minister said the government has received 203 complaints from 11 states and union territories in the last four years about inmates who have escaped from such institutions.

During a meeting of the Consultative Committee of Parliament, Gandhi said more than 40 child care institutions across the country have been shut for not adhering to norms of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, PTI reported. She also proposed setting up of a single large facility in every state to house children who are presently living in child care centres.

Gandhi’s submission to the Rajya Sabha comes weeks after at least 34 girls were found to have been raped at a government-run shelter in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur. The police have arrested 10 of the 11 accused in the case. Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma resigned on Wednesday after allegations emerged of her husband’s links to an accused.

Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government on Friday ordered monthly inspection of women’s hostels in the state after the director of a centre for disabled people was arrested on Tuesday for raping two minor girls of the facility.

“The inspection will be carried out by the collector and superintendent of police in each district on a monthly basis,” Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, according to PTI. Chouhan said similar rules will be framed for private hostels as well.