Zafar Aafaq
SRINAGAR
The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is planning to establish up Juvenile Justice Board for care and protection of children.
“The setting up of Juvenile Justice Board is under process,” Minister in-charge social welfare informed the upper house, “infrastructure is being created for establishment of various bodies including Juvenile Justice Boards, State Child Protection Society, Child welfare Committees, State Adoption Resource Agency and District Child Protection Units, Shelter Home, Children Home, Observation Home.”
Minister was replying a query raised by Dr Shehnaz Ganai, National Conference’s Member of Legislative Counsel.
The establishment of the board requires nomination of various government/non-government nominees and funds under integrated Child Protection Scheme, the government said.
The minister said that government has enacted the J&K Juvenile justice (Care and Protection) Act in 2013. “For implementation of Act, the state government entered into Memorandum of Understanding with Government of India (GoI) for funding.”
According to the minister, state government has submitted a financial proposal of Rs 2792.61 lakhs to GoI. “The proposal has been approved by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development,” the reply said. It added that Rs 113.35 lakh has been released by the Union ministry in last March.
To prevent the child labour, state government has constituted an apex committee in January 2015, the reply said.
Notably, the Government in the Labour and Employment Department has not conducted any “specific” survey with regard to estimation of number of child workers in the state.
“However, 603 children have been enrolled, seeking education under National Labour Project (NCLP) in the state, with 265 males and 338 females,” the government said.
The project is at present under implementation in Srinagar and Udhampur districts.
Under NCLP six and 11 Schools are functioning in Srinagar and Udhampur districts, respectively.
