The Hindu : National : Panel wants safeguards under Juvenile Justice Bill

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Tuesday, Dec 13, 2005

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Panel wants safeguards under Juvenile Justice Bill

Special Correspondent

Many special homes lack basic facilities

NEW DELHI: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill 2005 has recommended adequate safeguards to prevent "unscrupulous" non-governmental organisations from indulging in unlawful activities like selling and buying children under the pretext of adoption.

In its report presented in both Houses of Parliament on Monday, the panel has expressed apprehension that NGOs actively involved in managing shelter homes could indulge in such activities, and has recommended incorporating adequate safeguards in the existing Act or in the Rules.

The committee has also impressed upon the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry to persuade the States and the Union Territories to maintain a strict vigil over NGOs' activities, ensure that shelter homes are run properly and impose penalty on organisations if a child lodged under their care is not produced before the Child Welfare Committee within the stipulated time.

The committee expressed concern that complete information regarding the number of observation homes or special homes for juveniles and observation homes or shelter homes for juvenile children in need of care and protection run by the States was not available with the Ministry.

It said only five States (Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Mizoram and Delhi) had constituted inspection committees to review the functioning of such institutions.

It has further noted that though the Act provided for various types of services in the special homes, many of these lacked basic facilities like sanitation and recreation. While the Ministry has laid the onus for setting up and managing the homes on State Governments, the committee said monitoring the Act's implementation was the responsibility of the Centre.

The panel has asked the Ministry to identify the States and Union Territories without special homes for children and direct authorities to set them up with proper facilities.

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