PIL in Telangana High Court seeks setting up of child welfare panels

Source: newindianexpress.com

HYDERABAD: A public interest litigation was filed in the Telangana High Court seeking directions to the State government to constitute child welfare committees in all the 23 new districts in the state.

Besides, extending the term of office of the existing child welfare committees in the old 10 districts was illegal and failure to provide the required facilities to minor children was against the mandate prescribed under the Juvenile Justice (Care and protection of children) Act, 2015.

These child welfare committees were legally competent bodies with powers of First Class Magistrate and were the first to respond for any child in need and care and protection for a particular district, it noted.

Petitioner Prajwala, a non-governmental organisation, represented by its general secretary Sunitha Krishnan, submitted that the child welfare committees exist only in 10 districts in the State and there were no such committees in the remaining 23 new districts.

As per Sec 27 (1) of the Act 2015, establishment of child welfare committees was mandatory.

Besides, no person should be appointed for more than three years as member of the committee. However, the existing committees have been functioning for the past 10 years and the tenure of its members were being extended.

In fact, many of the members of existing committees were connected with other childcare institutions, it pointed out.