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Journalism of Courage
Following the Delhi government’s budget announcement of a proposal to set up a boarding school for homeless children, National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo has sought information on the status of children “running away from childcare facilities”.
After Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s budget speech, CM Arvind Kejriwal had addressed a press conference in which he elaborated on the proposal, saying children first need emotional and psychological support: “All attempts to pick them up from … traffic lights have failed because they have lacked humanity. They get picked up, put in jail, put in childcare centres. No one is there to ask after them, they run away and return to the same situation. This school will be one where they will get 5-star facilities, and these children will be brought to the mainstream, given respectful lives and be made good citizens.”
Referring to Kejriwal’s address, Kanoongo has written to the Chief Secretary zeroing in on a reference made by the CM on children rescued from streets running away from child care institutions. He has come down on the Delhi government, stating that this issue has not been raised with it in the past.
“In the said speech, it has been stated that children who are in street situations are not being dealt with in a humanitarian way and are rescued from streets and being placed in child care institutions. Those children who are placed in CCIs are then running away from there due to lack of adequate childcare facilities,” wrote Kanoongo, adding, “NCPCR would like to inform that so far four monthly meetings with all States/UTs in the past five months have been conducted… and the Department of Women and Child, Govt of NCT of Delhi, has not informed about this problem in CCIs of Delhi in any of the meetings. The NCPCR would like your good offices to provide reasons for not informing about this serious issue of children running away from CCIs in Delhi in monthly review meetings that are being taken by NCPCR with all States/UTs.”
He has sought information on the number of children rescued from streets in the last six months; those placed in CCIs; those who have run away; FIRs registered in such cases; details of all CCIs in Delhi and reports of inspections done. He also sought “an action taken report on poor conditions of CCIs in Delhi and officers who are responsible” in 15 days.
Government officials did not respond to calls or messages seeking a comment.
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