Child Commission to be formed, says Renuka

New Delhi, Aug 2: Minister of State for Family Welfare and Child Development Renuka Chaudhary today announced in the Lok Sabha that a new independent Child Commission would be formed to address the problems of the children.

The Commission, to be formed for the first time after Independence, would help give the children a separate identity in society, she said, replying to a discussion on the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2005, which was later adopted by the House by voice vote. The legislation provides for measures to prevent juvenile deliquents from drifting into crime.

Ms Chaudhury said a campaign would be launched together with the Home Ministry to sensitise the police in dealing with juvenile delinquents and investigation of crimes relating to them. She also said that her Ministry had reached an understanding with the Home Ministry that there would be 33 per cent women in the police force, which would help implement the provisions for welfare of the children.

The Minister said fast track courts would be set up to ensure speedy trials to decide cases relating to juvenile delinquents.

Underlining that she was against keeping children in reformatories for more than three years in reformatories, she felt the MPs could help in improving matters in such institutions in their respectives areas by keeping a watch on the state of affairs existing there and in implementing the provisions of the Bill.

Ms Chaudhury expressed hope that in the Eleventh Plan, her Ministry would get more attention and resources to strengthen it and enable it to take measures for the welfare of the children.

She also said that the amount of fine for disclosing the names of juvenile deliquents had been raised to Rs 25,000 as the disclosure of their names often prevented their rehabilitation in the society.

The Bill was adopted, as were all the 37 amendments moved by the Government.

Those who participated in the discussion on the Bill included Shailendra Kumar (SP), Alok Kumar (RJD), Brahmanand Panda(BJD), Neeta Pateriya(BJP), Madhusudan Mistry(Cong) and Ram Kripal Yadav (RJD).

UNI