Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 12: Chairperson National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Priyank Kanoongo today convened an inter-department-cum-consultation meeting to review the child protection measures being taken in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary School Education and Social Welfare Hirdesh Kumar, Director General Social Welfare Jammu/Kashmir Rihana Batool and Rukhsana Gani, Mission Director, JKICPS Shabnam Shah Kamili, Managing Director SC/ST/OBC/Minority, DG Women Child Development Tariq Ali, Project Director Samagra Shiksha and Mid-day Meals Dr. Arun Kumar Manhas, Member Secretary NCPCR Rupali Banerjee Singh, Technical Officers and other concerned attended the meeting.
Judge Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, who is also Chairman J&K Justice Juvenile Committee, also attended the meeting via video conferencing.
The meeting was briefed in detail about the process adopted by the ICPS in facilitating implementation of Child Rights and prevention of crimes against children.
It was said that District Child Protection Units, Child Welfare Committees and Juvenile Justice Boards have been established in all the 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting held a threadbare review of implementation of various laws related to child protection and quality of nutrition being provided to children in Anganwadi centres. The meeting also explored ways to bring out-of-school children into mainstream education.
Earlier, Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey laid emphasis on taking prevention and curative measures to stop the drug abuse in J&K and called for adopting capacity building measures to deal with the menace.
During the meeting, rehabilitation of children affected by drug abuse and victims of sexual assault was discussed in detail.
Commissioner Secretary Hirdesh Kumar, on the occasion, said that the physical audit of all the Homes under the aegis of Social Welfare shall be conducted within a month to provide better facilities to the inmates.
Addressing the meeting, Chairperson NCPCR emphasized on the need for convergence between line departments with Social Welfare Department to obtain the maximum output from the schemes under the child protection services.
He asked the School Education Department to implement various policies formulated by the Central Government and follow the Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) as laid down on the web site of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
He also recommended implementation of school safety guidelines, constitution of Medical Board for disabilities, preventive and curative health programmes with creation of facilities in the hospitals, and child-friendly police attitude at police stations throughout the Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile a team led by Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Priyank Kanoongo and Mission Director, JKICPS Shabnam Shah Kamili visited Observation Home, R S Pura and interacted with the juveniles there.
Member Secretary Rupali Banerjee Singh, Technical Officers, campaigner also accompanied the official during the visit.
The Chairperson NCPCR extensively discussed their reasons of captivity.
Mission Director, ICPS apprised the team about various procedures adopted by Juvenile Justice Committee and other units of the Child Protection Services and gave a brief of their activities in the Union Territory. The team also visited Nari Niketan and Bal Ashram in the premises.
The team later took appraisal of the Police Station Gandhi Nagar and the facilities being provided in the model police station were critically observed. The Chairperson laid emphasis on the fact that capacity building for police personnel in respect of Juvenile Justice should be prioritised.
The team also visited Higher Secondary School, Gandhi Nagar to examine the infrastructure available in the school for child friendly and elementary education. They took a review of the Child Welfare Committee, Jammu and Juvenile Justice Board, Jammu.
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