Need to develop children's potential : Rodrigues

Chandigarh, Nov 19 (UNI) Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Union Territory Administrator, General (retd.) S F Rodrigues today stressed the need for developing the potential of children and making them useful members of society.

Presiding over a State Level Function of Children Day Celebrations at Punjab Raj Bhavan here, he said that children were assets of the nation and their well-being was our collective responsibility.

He emphasized the need for adopting a holistic approach in responding to the requirements of children and for implementation of various childcare programmes, particularly for the girl child.

He said that a dedicated endeavour at all levels was required to empower the children to make them productive members of the society.

Impressing upon the members of Punjab Child Welfare Council and other NGOs the need to join in various programmes launched by the Chandigarh Administration for the balanced development of Children, General Rodrigues said that "we have already started the first phase of the Street Children Project at village Maloya with an initial capacity of 300 and an ultimate plan of accommodating 600 boys and 300 girls".

He said that the first phase of another Home for mentally challenged children was being inaugurated on December 3, 2008 and a home for crippled people in January next year.

These Child care projects have the capacity of accommodating 1000 inmates each and have various facilities of education, medical care and equipping them in various skills to enable them to earn their livelihood.

UNI VKJ MMS2035