The District Child Protection Monitoring Committee has recommended action against orphanages that have not registered under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
The recommendation was made at a meeting of the committee at the district panchayat recently.
The Supreme Court in a judgment in May had asked all orphanages to register under the Act by December 31.
Inspections will be conducted in all orphanages in the district in the coming two months under the supervision of district panchayat vice-president Shailaja Beegum.
Subcommittee
A subcommittee presided over by Ms. Beegum and comprising District Child Protection Officer K.K. Subair (convener), Assistant Commissioner of Police (City) R. Prathapan Nair, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Rural) Anilkumar, Childline district coordinator Joby I.P., and University of Kerala MSW department faculty member Sreekumar has been formed for the purpose.
There are 97 orphanages in the district.
Of these, 61 have applied for registration.
Temporary registration
Those who have applied will be considered to have got temporary registration for six months.
A decision on final registration will be taken only after a detailed investigation.
Applications for registration, in specified format, have to be submitted at the District Child Protection Unit at Poojappura.
Recommendation
The meeting also recommended that the government appoint counsellors in all government schools in the district.
District panchayat president V.K. Madhu, Ms. Beegum, Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights member M.P. Antony, Child Rights Board member Philomena Cedric, Child Welfare Committee member Rajagopal, Mr. Subair, and block and district-level officials of various departments took part in the meeting.
