Meet focuses on child protection issue

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR, June 20: A meeting with the district child protection unit was organized by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in the mediation centre, Cachar, today. Mahmuddin Hussain Barbhuiya, secretary, District Legal Services Authority, said, “There are rules and regulations laid down for ensuring safety and security of a child. District child protection unit has been working consistently for ensuring the basic rights of children.” He also questioned whether the committees concerned are performing their duties or not and also threw light upon various amendments made in the Juvenile Justice Act, 1986.

 He said, “New laws have been passed and new committees appointed for ensuring safety and security of the children. Police administration has also been helping us from time to time.” If a child, below the age of 18, commits a crime, he or she will not be referred as an ‘accused’ or a ‘culprit’. In such cases, they are called ‘juvenile in conflict with law (JCL). Therefore, it becomes necessary to deal sensitively in such cases, he added.   Smriti Rani Palit, district child welfare officer, said, “Children welfare centre has been trying their best to protect maximum protection to the hapless children who are being forced to work as a labour. The role of police cannot be undermined as they have been helping us in every possible way.”  She also said that people can contact a toll number 1098 in case an issue of child labour comes across them.   Jagadish Das in his speech said that in a country like India, most of the children belonging to the rural areas, have to remain malnourished and thus food security should be provided to them.