Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Thursday said that there was a need to provide homes to children living in institutional care and street situations.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that inaugurating the two-day workshop for sensitisation and training programmes for representatives of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Police, and other stakeholders to strengthen the child protection system and mechanism in Jammu and Kashmir, the LG highlighted the need to provide homes to the children living in institutional care and in street situation.
“I believe childhood blossoms in a vibrant environment of home, hence institutional care should be the last option,” he said.
Sinha said that the government had taken several rehabilitation and child care initiatives, and adoption through a joint effort of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) and State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) had started that would promote family-based non-institutional care of children.
He thanked the Ministry of Women and Child Development and lauded the Social Welfare Department for its innovative initiative which aims to organise a training programme for 15,000 persons in 2023-24.
This was the first such campaign organised by the Women and Child Development Ministry, Government of India in the country.
The LG said that the training programme was a testimony to the commitment of the J&K administration to secure a blissful childhood and to ensure a supportive ecosystem for children which enables them to realise their true potential.
“For many decades, our children did not get the childhood they deserve. Conflict profiteers brainwashed them and handed over stones in their hands. We have decimated that ecosystem and our children now carry laptops, tabs and contribute to nation building,” he said.
Sinha also called upon public representatives, NGOs, community elders, religious leaders, and youth clubs to join the fight against the drug menace.
“Adolescent drug abuse is one of the major areas of concern. We have adopted a zero tolerance policy against drugs and it is our collective responsibility to raise awareness and strengthen action to realise the vision of drug-free J&K,” he said.
On the occasion, the LG asked the officials of the central government to consider the establishment of Vatsalya Sadan one each in Srinagar and Jammu.
Chief Secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Sanjeev Kumar Chadha; Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Indra Mallo; Commissioner Secretary Social Welfare Department (SWD), Sheetal Nanda, and senior officers from Central Government and J&K administration were also present on the occasion.
The inaugural session was attended by PRIs and ULB members, Police officials, resource persons, representatives of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), judiciary, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
