The functioning of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) is hit hard for want of allocation of manpower and funding.
Formed with six members and former IAS officer Sujata Rao as the Chairperson on February 19, 2014 following a directive by the Supreme Court, the Commission has also become a victim of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
After bifurcation of the Commission, three members each became part of separate Commissions for AP and Telangana. Now the AP SCPCR does not have a full-fledged Chairman and one of the members and NGO activist S. Balaraju is functioning as the in-charge Chairman.
As per the CPCR Act, 2015, the Commission should have one Chairman and six Members. As per Section 21, a Secretary cadre official should be appointed by the government as the Secretary of the panel to execute the Commission’s orders.
As there is no Secretary, there is none to ensure the implementation of the orders. Of 160 cases registered by the Commission, around 54 cases are now pending. The Commission is mandated to implement cases booked under Juvenile Justice Act amended in 2016, Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
The State government is also supposed to allocate budgetary support of Rs.60 lakh. As it is not getting funds from the State, the panel is meeting its expenses from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
SCPCR at present has two clerical staff. They have been shifted to Amaravati – the new capital of AP from Hyderabad. However, space is not allotted for the Commission for its relocation because of which it is sharing the office in Hyderabad along with its Telangana counterpart.
“Our functioning has become very difficult as we are not able to conduct extensive tours for inspections and redressal of grievances three Acts. Our difficulties have been represented to the government,” Mr. Balaraju told The Hindu on Monday when his comments were sought on problems encountered by the commission since its inception.
