IMPHAL, November 12: The Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) will start functioning in full swing as the shortfall in subordinate staffs have already been recruited and they will take charge of their offices under the district magistrates after finalization of their postings in different districts, said director of social welfare department, L Ibobi Singh.
The statement was made during the first foundation day observation of MCPCR at the conference hall of the Directorate of Social Welfare Department.
He further said that in 2006, the Ministry of Women and Child Development proposed the adoption of the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) and in 2009, the central government gave the scheme its approval and has begun the extensive task of providing children with a protection and safe environment.
The scheme is meant for safeguarding against transgression of the rights of the children and to protect them from situations and actions leading to abuse, neglect, exploitation etc, he said.
However, in the state the scheme was implemented after a long delay, and its proper functioning was hindered as there was lack of infrastructure, staffs and land. He added that the commission was established with an initial funding of Rs 5 lakh only and luckily for the commission, the plot for construction of its building was gifted by the state government.
He further said that violation against children has been carrying on since many years back and it is still continuing. But now new staffs have been recruited and it will show its effect soon through the reduction in violation against children.
Principal Secretary (SW) Barun Mitra said that the upliftment of MCPCR and its infrastructure like other commission in various states will be fulfilled.
During the function the annual report of MCPCR was released which contained a list of its achievement. It mentioned that it had intervened when it learnt that some private schools run by the Catholic Society notified in the local dailies that admission test will be conducted for admission of children in their schools for the academic session 2013-2014. The selection process was against sub section – (1) of Section 13 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 and the commission took up a case and directed the state government to take up immediate necessary action in this regard. The school authorities were also directed to stop screening procedures for admission of student in elementary classes.
The MCPCR initiated actions for repatriation of 23 trafficked children belonging to the state from Rajasthan. The state social welfare department, responded positively to the repatriation of the children, Furthermore, the report stated that the MCPCR registered a suo motto case No.4 of2013 MCPCR in relation to the case of 15 school children becoming unconscious inside their school van when they were in the course of travelling from their respective homes to their school.