Chandigarh: In a specialized campaign on the directions of the Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister, Punjab, Mrs. Aruna Chaudhary, 67 children’s homes were subjected to checking as a precautionary measure during the course of which no complaint relating to the abuse or child security came to the fore and everything was found in order. As regarding the suggestions received regarding further improvement in the children homes and some minor infrastructural issues, these were forwarded to the minister. The department also released 2 helplines in order to ensure the protection of children on which anybody can register a complaint.
The minister said that ensuring the security of the children and women is the biggest priority of the government for which the department has formed teams at the state as well as the district level aimed at the regular checking of children homes under section 54 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The minister further said that the incidents which happened at the children homes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have shaken the society to the core which resulted in the department deciding to go in for special checking of the children homes in Punjab by constituting teams under the Deputy Commissioners and the higher officials at the state level. Expressing satisfaction at the report of the checking teams, Mrs. Chaudhary assured that the Punjab Government is dutybound for the protection of children with more improved methods in future. The minister also directed the implementation of the suggestions forwarded by the special checking teams and rectifying the few faultlines found in the checking.
The Special Chief Secretary, Social Security, Women and Child Development, Punjab, Mr. K.B.S. Sidhu said that the minister Mrs. Aruna Chaudhary had taken serious notice of the horrendous incidents against the children and instructed the departmental officials to start special checking campaign. Acting swiftly, the state level teams were constituted under the leadership of Director of the department. Mr. Sidhu further said that this campaign has yielded satisfying results and the suggestions received with regard to the more improvements would be surely put into practice.
Elaborating about the special checking campaign, the Director of the Department Mrs. Kavita Singh said that in the 2 days span, 67 children homes spread over 14 districts were subjected to checking. Out of these, 19 were government and the rest 48 were non-governmental. These are those children homes which house the orphan, lost and the children with special needs or those from child reform homes. On the first day, 36 while on the second day today 31 institutes were checked.
Mrs. Kavita Singh also said that the each committee had a senior officer of the department from the headquarter or the Deputy Commissioner as the head under whose supervision the child care institutes were checked. She also said that the initial reports found everything in order and the rest of the picture would be cleared in the detailed reports. The department has released 2 helpline numbers in this regard. Any person can lodge a complaint 24×7 on the mobile number 70872-23325 while on the departmental headquarter number 0172-2608746 complaint can be lodged from 9 AM till 5 PM. The complaints can be lodged concerning the misbehavior with or cruelty against children, women and the old age people. The identity of the complainant would be kept a secret.
