A help desk for children would be established at the Tiruchi Railway junction soon under the auspices of the Childline and Railway Protection Force.
The 24-hour help desk would be manned by Childline staff and the Railway Protection Force to provide assistance to run away or lost children at the Railway station.
Chairing a meeting of the Childline Advisory Board here on Wednesday, Collector K. S. Palanisamy disclosed that the help desk would start functioning from March 1.
According to Childline representatives, the help desk would provide immediate support and intervention to run away or lost children at the station. The staff manning the desk would immediately alert the Childline and District Child Welfare Committee. The standard protocol in handling such children would be put in place immediately.
Explaining the rationale for the desk, Childline authorities said run away or lost children are being frequently identified by their staff involved in patrolling currently. The help desk would provide immediate support to such children without any delay and facilitate their reunion with their parents/ family. This will be the first help desk to be opened in Tiruchi, they said.
Speaking at the Advisory Board, Mr. Palanisamy also underlined the need for taking up sensitisation measures in educational institutions to prevent child sexual abuse. Children should be educated on good and bad touch. Suggestion boxes should be provided. He also called for steps to strengthen the Child Rights Clubs formed in about 330 schools in the district.
Reporting of incidents of sexual abuses is mandatory and offenders committing serious crime against children such as child sexual abuse would be detained under the Goondas Act, he said.
S. Shanthi, Chief Educational officer, A. K. Das, Assistant Security Commissioner, Tiruchi Division, Godwin Prem Singh, Director, S. Thiyagarajan, Coordinator, Childline Nodal Agency, and others attended the meeting.
