By Azera Rahman, IANS
New Delhi : Delhi will soon set up a child rights commission to look after all aspects of child welfare, says Jayshree Raghuraman, secretary of the women and child development ministry’s social welfare department.
“We have realised that there is a need for a forum to look into the welfare of children. The cabinet has given its nod to a state commission for the protection of children’s rights. And Delhi will soon have one,” Raghuraman told IANS on the sidelines of the national consultative meet organised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
The need for such a commission, according to Raghuraman, arises from the fact that the two Juvenile Justice Boards functional here deal only with those children who are in conflict with the law, leaving aside thousands of others in need of care and attention.
Looking bleary eyed, 16-year-old Chandan, who was part of the conference, said he has lived in several juvenile and rehabilitation homes in Delhi but ran away from each because of the ill treatment meted out.
“The juvenile homes sheltering homeless children are like jails. The caretakers beat the children instead of showering them with love and care. The clothes that the children are given are later taken back in return for money and sometimes cigarettes and tobacco,” he said.
Raghuraman said the staff of juvenile homes will have to be sensitised and the commission will thus look after all aspects of children’s welfare.
The commission will comprise a chairperson who has to his credit outstanding work in the field of promotion for children’s welfare and six members, of whom two will be women, appointed by the state government.
“The state commission will have to submit an annual report to the state government and special reports on any issue at any time if needed,” Raghuraman said.
The date of setting up the commission has not yet been fixed. “There is always a pressure of space in Delhi. But we are hoping that it will be set up soon,” she said.