PASIGHAT, 2 Apr: National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) member Rosy Taba on Friday chaired a meeting on child rights, organized here by the East Siang WCD department’s divisional level ICDS cell.
While reviewing the child protection scenario of the district, Taba said, “Children must be safe, well cared for and loved. Unfortunately, some are abused and exploited by adults. It may be in school, on the street or even at home, but a small percentage is referred to the police or child protection agencies.
The number of prosecutions and convictions for offences committed against children is relatively low,” she said.
Referring to cases of sexual offence, molestation, child labour, etc, Taba stated that the police are duty bound to register all complaints and take appropriate actions in the course of their work. “They have considerable powers to arrest and detain suspects and investigate crimes, and these powers must be used for high-quality protection and safeguarding to all those who need their help,” opined Taba.
Seeking cooperation from “the local administration, health, labour, social welfare, education and society as a whole,” Taba said that “all have responsibilities to safeguard and secure the welfare of every child who is suffering.”
She said awareness campaigns should be conducted at schools and panchayats, especially in rural and far-off areas of the district, involving the police, legal service providers, etc. She asked the DMO to provide medical service to the juvenile home, and asked the DDSE to put up all important telephone/mobile numbers of child safety in classrooms. “Students must get their benefits like midday meal, school uniforms, books, etc, in school,” she said, adding that “together we can protect our future generation by teaching them to be smart, strong and safe.”
Taba urged East Siang DC Dr Kinny Singh to conduct periodical coordination and consultative meetings with all stakeholders, “so that the nation’s most precious resource (children) are protected.”
Dr Singh presented a brief on the status of the child safety measures being taken up by the administration. She called for close coordination among the different departments, agencies and NGOs to safeguard the rights of the children, besides providing them with care and protection.
SP PK Mishra presented “the working profile of the district police force” and assured of all support and cooperation from the police. (DIPRO)
