The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) on Wednesday expressed anguish when District Health and Family Welfare Officer Rajashekar Mali failed to provide the relevant information regarding adolescent pregnancy cases and the number of malnutrition cases in Kalaburagi district.
Commission chairman K. Naganna Gowda and commission member Shashidhar Kosumbe took Mr. Mali to task for coming to the meeting without preparation.
Displeased by the lack of information, Mr. Gowda and Mr. Kosumbe directed the officers to provide the data of teenage pregnancy and malnutrition cases reported in the district, by evening.
The KSCPCR chairman and its members were presiding over a district-level meeting here to review the implementation of Prevention of Child from Sexual Offences (PoCSO) Act, Right to Education Act and Juvenile Justice Act.
Referring to sales of tobacco products and alcohol around educational institutions, Mr. Gowda directed the Police Department to monitor and take action against such shop owners.
Smoking, chewing tobacco and consuming alcohol around the premises of educational institutions are seen as violation of Section 6b (prohibition of sale of tobacco products near educational institutions) Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). Children before attaining the age of 18 are falling prey to tobacco and alcohol addiction.
Working in coordination is a prerequisite for effective implementation of awareness programmes, Mr. Gowda said and called upon the Women and Child Welfare Department, the Social Welfare Department and the Police Department to work unitedly to combat PoCSO cases, child marriages and trafficking in children and help in rehabilitation and protection of victims.
Mr. Gowda also directed the officials of the Education Department to pay regular visits to schools and residential hostels for addressing grievances of students.
Display the child safety and PoCSO Act posters in public places with tough slogans can be carried out, so that the people become aware of the consequences of such heinous acts.
Fee
Mr. Gowda said that schools cannot bar students from taking examinations or attending classes on the grounds of non-payment of fees. It will be in violation of the Child Rights Act. Mr. Gowda directed the Department of Public Instructions to issue instructions to all schools in this regard and ensure that such incidents did not occur.
Mr. Kosumbe said that schools and residential hostels in the district should have a complaint box and a child protection committee, comprising children, parents and teachers, should be constituted in each school. These committees should conduct monthly meetings to address issues concerning students, he added.
Children are employed in domestic services, factories and hotels, Mr. Kosumbe said and added that officials from Labour, Excise and Police departments along with District Child Protection Committee units should jointly conduct raids on a regular basis to rescue such children and bring them to the mainstream.
Additional Superintendent of Police N. Srinidhi said that 32 PoCSO cases have been reported across the taluks in the last one year (2022-2023), of which 12 cases are at various stages of investigation and an accused in one case reported from Chincholi taluk has been convicted.
Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare Department U. Naveen said that 2,90,552 children have been admitted to 3,620 Anganwadi centers across the district. Of the 2.9 lakh children, 31,039 have been identified as malnourished and special care is being provided to them.
Deputy Commissioner Fauzia Tarannum and Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Bhanwar Singh Meena were present.
