Rodrigues calls for major child welfare measures

Chandigarh, Sep 4 (UNI) Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Gen (Retd) S F Rodrigues, today called for strengthening institutional mechanism, support structure and monitoring system of state-level Child Welfare Council and district bodies to carry out social initiatives and charter of obligations effectively.

Presiding over the state-level combined meeting of the Governing Body and Executive Committee of the Child Welfare Council, Punjab, which was also attended by Mrs Jean Rodrigues, Vice President of the Council, the Governor impressed upon the members of these bodies the need to expand their reach and endeavour to upgrade the quality of life of children, by developing the culture of "ownership", commitment and involvement in the implementation of various welfare projects, particularly for the disadvantaged and girl child.

Urging the Punjab State Child Welfare Council and the Punjab Government to join in the various programmes launched by the Chandigarh Administration for the disadvantaged, Gen Rodrigues said that the administration was launching first phase of street children project with an initial capacity of 300 children, by end of September, 2008 and also the homes for mentally challenged and crippled with 1000 capacity each in near future.

The Governor also announced the launching of the Medicity project shortly in the Union Territory with special focus on training 300 girls in nursing, every year with the goal of empowering girl child.

This project will benefit the whole region in providing healthcare and research facilities in different faculties of allopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda and unani medicine system, he said.

Various new projects for child welfare and financial assistance to various schools engaged in providing facilities to handicap and disadvantaged children were approved in the meeting.

UNI JN MMS1905