The Hindu : Other States / Punjab News : Call to check child abuse

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Wednesday, Aug 04, 2004

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Other States - Punjab

Call to check child abuse

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, AUG 3. The Punjab Governor, O.P. Verma, who is also Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, today called upon non-government organisations (NGOs) and voluntary groups to launch a concerted drive to check exploitation and abuse of children.

Presiding over a combined meeting of the General Body and Executive Committee of the Child Welfare Council here at the Punjab Raj Bhavan, where representatives from all the districts of the State were present, Justice Verma stressed the need to ensure that children of tender age were not put to abuse.

According to an official release, the Governor said that it was the responsibility of society to provide children equal opportunity and facilities to develop in a healthy manner. He emphasised the need to review the education system and favoured that higher education should be offered to fewer students, who have talent and capacity to specialise in certain fields. Other children should be given some avocation immediately after finishing their school level studies.

Justice Verma said that it was matter of concern that 7.9 percent school going children are anaemic and a considerable number were suffering from malnutrition. He said the physical standards of children from Punjab were going down due to malnutrition, pollution and junk food.

The Governor asked Deputy Commissioners to use existing mobile dental vans in the districts to examine children in rural areas where more than 65 per cent were suffering from dental disorders. It was informed in the meeting that land has been already allotted at Patiala for Deaf and Dumb Institute by District Administration and construction work on this Rs. 45 lakh project would start soon. It was also informed that scholarship for the Deaf and Dumb had been doubled to Rs. 200 per month for those whose parents earned not more than Rs. 1 lakh annually.

Extending the scope of a previous scheme introduced by the Council, 12 more night schools would be opened in addition to 14 already running in Chandigarh to provide education to the `street children'. The Governor asked the Child Welfare Council to give incentives to the children in kind as parents tend to usurp the cash incentive.

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