‘Give legal status to child protection committees’

These panels formed to prevent crimes against children

V. Ramaraj, Member of Tamil Nadu Commission for Child Rights, said the State government should provide legal status to child protection committees formed at various levels.

Mr. Ramaraj along with Prison Superintendent Senthil Kumar and other senior officials inspected the Salem Central Prison and Women’s Prison on Friday to assess whether any children of convicts are in the prison and whether they are provided with facilities. Mr. Ramaraj also interacted with a few inmates.

He told presspersons the State government through a Government Order had formed child protection committees at six levels including Block, Village and Corporation to prevent crimes against children. These committees should be given legal status and the Commission would recommend it to the government.

Mr. Ramaraj said the government was also looking at strengthening the child protection offices.

Rights of children

He said the inspection was conducted to ensure the rights of children growing in prison, if any, and steps must be taken to prevent them from becoming into children in conflict with law.

About 23 children were getting benefited in the district under the District Child Protection scheme, he said.

Mr. Ramaraj said that no children or pregnant women were in the prison at the moment. A few inmates complained of lack of educational support among others. Officials in respective districts would take action on the complaints, he said.

Illegal adoption case

Regarding the inquiry conducted by the Commission into an illegal adoption case here, he said that the State government had accepted the Commission’s recommendations and advised respective departments to take action.

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