The State government will establish disability screening centres in Kozhikode, Ernakulam, and Kollam districts within two months, member of the State Planning Board G. Vijayaraghavan has said.
Participating in the valedictory of a two-day State-level consultative meeting on child rights here on Sunday, he said as a pilot project, the centres would be opened in three districts and it would be expanded to the remaining districts within two years.
It would be a joint initiative of the Social Justice, Health, and Education Departments, he said.
Newborns brought to the centre would be screened for various types of disabilities and it would carry out early intervention programmes, he said.
Mr. Vijayaraghavan, who spoke on the subject “Corporate Social Responsibility and Child Rights,” said corporate houses would be more than willing to participate in creating awareness on the need to prevent child abuse.
He urged the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to come up with a model programme that could be emulated by corporate houses.
Director of Social Justice Department V.N. Jithendran said the rights of the child included giving them space to air their views on issues and making them part of the decision making.
The concept of providing participatory role to children, he said would lead to empowerment and in this respect Bala Sabhas and Bala Samathis were playing a major role.
Chairperson of Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Neela Gangadharan said steps would be taken at the commission-level to bring together various government agencies, NGOs, and international organisations working towards prevention of child rights on a common platform.
The chairperson also stressed the need to spruce up reporting system of child abuse cases.
