The Hindu : Call to constitute child welfare panels

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 31, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Call to constitute child welfare panels

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM May 30. The general secretary of the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare, Sunil. C. Kurien, has urged the Government to take steps for the formation of Child Welfare Committees (CWC) and also for the framing of rules related with the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection Act 2000.

Addressing a press conference at the office of the State Council for Child Welfare here today, Mr. Kurien said that delay in the formation of CWCs in the State was causing difficulties for facilitating adoption.

While the Social Welfare Director was in charge of issuing clearance for the adoption of abandoned children obtained from Thiruvananthapuram, District Collectors were in charge of this process in other districts.

Though the council had submitted applications for the clearance of as many as 14 children to the Social Welfare Director from 2002 October 9, not much applications had been cleared, he added.

Reacting to the statement by the Social Welfare Board officials that the council had submitted only 14 applications for obtaining clearance for adoption, he said that the applications of 14 children obtained in the adoption centre from Thiruvananthapuram alone were submitted to the director while all other applications had been submitted for clearance to the respective District Collectors.

Though the council had submitted applications for the clearance of all 29 children in the adoption home, only six had been cleared for adoption, he said.

Of these six children, one child was physically handicapped and another child was mentally challenged and was presently undergoing treatment at a medical centre in the city.

The process for the adoption of other children were under progress, he added.

He also said that a section of people who were defeated during the last council elections along with a section of abkari contractors were involved in tarnishing the image of the Child Welfare Council.

Mr. Kurien also said that the State Human Rights Commission member, S. Balaraman, had visited the adoption centre at the council building and had asked the council to submit a report about the status of children in the centre before June 25.

The council would be submitting its report on May 31 itself, he added.

He also urged the Government to take steps for appointing a full-time Social Welfare Director so as to prevent the delay in issuing no objection certificates for adoption in the district.

Meanwhile, nine-month-old Akash, who was cleared for adoption by the District Collector of Pathanamthitta, was adopted by a Palakkad-based couple this evening.

The vice-president of the council, Bindu Mohan, also attended the press conference.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Govt. may hike tariff for non-domestic water consumers

Interlinking of rivers: plea to exclude Kerala

New role of P.C. Thomas not to make any impact: Jacob

Govt. plans hike in college fee

Novel insurance scheme for cine workers

'Innalekalile Akasham' adjudged best drama

Police official accused of misbehaviour on train

Call to constitute child welfare panels

Abkari contractor, four others held