VIJAYAWADA
The AP State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) on Monday reprimanded the staff of the Girls’ Shelter Home at Krishnalanka in the city, from where the profiles of rescued minor girls leaked a few days ago, for their negligence.
Responding to a report published in The Hindu on the alleged leakage of the confidential data, the Commission Chairman, Kesali Appa Rao, summoned the programme coordinator and the social worker of the home.
“The profiles of the rescued minor girls, including the details of the cases, photographs, family history and their contact numbers were leaked,” he said.
The programme coordinator told the SCPCR that the social worker had shared the details of the girls sheltered in the home, which were noted in a book, without informing the management.
The social worker, during the commission’s inquiry, stated that the data of the girls were given to a CWC member after repeated requests. “I had observed that the CWC member (who collected the data from her) had been maintaining duplicate profiles from other homes also. Following the oral instructions of the member, I gave the profiles of the girls,” she said.
She further revealed that she had handed over the profiles of minor girls several times earlier. “On several occasions, the CWC member ordered me over the phone to submit profiles of girls, and I gave the data,” she said.
- “The profiles of rescued minor girls of different States were leaked from the Girls’ Shelter Home. A report will be submitted to the NTR District Collector for necessary action,” Mr. Appa Rao said. He directed the CWCs to take all measures to protect the identity of CNCP and preserve the data with utmost care.
SOP soon
Meanwhile, following the data leakage, the Department of Juvenile Welfare, Correctional Services and Welfare of Street Children is planning to issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to all Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) in the State on preserving the confidential data of children.
The CWCs, constituted under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, deal with Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP), and NGOs and officers of various government departments produce minors before the committees for their protection and shelter.
The CNCP are referred to about 700 children’s homes in the State for care and protection.
.
Speaking to The Hindu, the Director of the department, B.D.V. Prasad Murthy, said that an SOP would be given to all the CWCs to protect the data, which includes case details, education, date of birth and other particulars of the rescued children.
“We are taking all measures to preserve the confidential data of the children. An investigation is on into the alleged data leak case,” Mr. Prasad Murthy said.
