Meghalaya: NCPCR holds review meeting to conduct survey on differently-abled children

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the Meghalaya government to conduct a survey of the number of differently abled children. “This is to know if they are lacking the (disability) certificates or their pensions,” NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said after the inter-departmental review meeting on child rights in the state of Meghalaya.

Kanoongo said that the commission asked the state government to expedite the process to provide them with all their entitlements.

He said that the NCPCR has received some information from the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) run by the Health department that they will be screening the children on four Ds – disability, deficiencies, delays and diseases. The NCPCR chairperson also said that it has asked the state government to also hold a consultative meeting with all the line departments and to get examinations done of children with disabilities by medical board. “Whoever is entitled with a certificate for any other benefit should be provided,” Kanoongo said. He also said that they have asked the state government to appoint a chairperson and members to the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

The last chairperson of the SCPCR was Iamonlang M. Syiem whose term ended in March this year. He stressed on the need to give children formal education and instructed officials to conduct surveys on Madrassas in the state.

According to data available with the state government there are two Madrassas in East Khasi Hills and three in West Garo Hills, with a total number 494 students enrolled out of which 460 are Muslim students and 34 non-Muslim students. The state government also informed that as per inputs received from the districts, in West Garo Hills, six adolescents are engaged in labour and one child labour case have been detected.

There were 938 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) cases received by the Child Welfare Committee in the last three years.  The number of POCSO cases referred by the Child Welfare Committee to the District Legal Service Authority for legal aid assistance in the last three years is 74.

Meanwhile, in 125 POCSO cases, amounts of Special Relief to the victim (as per new POCSO Rules 2020) were recommended for immediate payment.

Also Read: NCPCR reviews child rights protection in Arunachal Pradesh (sentinelassam.com)

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