Juvenile Justice meet exposes SWD flaws
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 28 2013 : State's Social Welfare Department came in for severe criticism, at a one day State level consultation on 'Juvenile Justice', for alleged failure to work out an effective mechanism for protection of child rights.

Presenting the key note ad-dress at the consultation meet organised by Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR), Alliance convenor Keisham Pradipkumar said inaction by the Social Welfare Department on a directive from the Ministry of Women and Child Development about years back for implementation of Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) has added to the misery of the children in Manipur.

Ministry's Joint Secretary P Bolina officially intimated then Social Welfare Commissioner Lelkhogin Haokip on April 28, 2004 to furnish de-tails about implementation schedule of ICPS for the Scheme's inclusion in the 11th Plan but eight years had pass-ed without any sign of the Scheme in the State, regretted the convenor noting that since the Ministry's directive Social Welfare Department has had five directors.

A resource person at the 'Juvenile Justice' consultation

Claiming that the Department is still in the process of manpower recruitment for the ICPS and decrying such inordinate delay, Pradipkumar also lamented that absence of the Scheme is also impeding setting up district level units.

Referring to alleged failure of the Social Welfare department to maintain official re- cord about crime and violence against children, the convenor said lack of such vital information is having adverse im- pact on prevention and intervention plan.

Stating that out of 22 cases of sexual assault against children last year, 10 of the inci- dents occurred at Thoubal district, he informed that availability of vital information is a basic necessity to put in place intervention programme at the most vulnerable zone.

Pradipkumar also described as most worrisome cases of underage children involved in armed conflict with the assertion that out of 147 cases of juvenile in conflict 100 of them involved child soldiers.

Dismissing Social Welfare Department authority's repetitive comment about the Department gripped with financial problems as lame excuse, he insisted that separate budgetary allocations need to be made for relief package to rape victims, repatriation of victims of child trafficking and their rehabilitation.

Seriously noting delay in releasing relief incentive to rape victims by the Department, Pradipkumar strongly suggested that the Department should work out and implement effective mechanism to prevent trafficking and abusing rights of the children.

The technical session of the consultation meet had Human Rights Law Network Manipur director Rakesh Meihoubam deliberating on 'Role of Police/SJPU and Juvenile Justice Board in Juvenile Justice System', Child Welfare Committee, Thoubal chairperson Mala Lisam on 'Provision of ICPS and Its Present Implementation Status' and Women in Governance, Manipur convenor Nonibala N on 'Sexual Assault Survivor's Issues vis-a-vis juvenile Justice System' .