A day long orientation cum training program was organised here today on Child protection, Juvenile Justice and Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) by J&K State Mission Director, ICPS, Social Welfare Department in collaboration with United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF).Nearly, 70 officers including District Program Officers ICDS, District Social Welfare Officers and CDPO’s participated in the day long orientation cum training program.Director General Police, Dr. S.P Vaid, who was chief guest on the occasion, emphasised that the Juvenile Justice needs an urgent attention from all departments and the civil society as well. He lauded the initiatives of Social Welfare Department and UNICEF in bringing various stakeholders together for effective implementation of Juvenile Justice Act. He stressed on the need of equipping the social welfare department with adequate facilities so that the law enforcement agencies find it feasible to implement the law in letter and spirit. There is an urgent need for all departments to function in synergy as a single unit to respond to the issues that children of the state face,” Dr Vaid reiterated.
Mission Director ICDS, Talat Parvaiz, elaborated on the concepts of Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB) and Child Welfare Committees (CWC) for larger interest of the community. He gave detailed description of responsibilities given to the officers under the Juvenile Justice Act which is proportionate to the powers required to discharge the duties.Parvaiz announced that the notification for inviting applications from social workers for Child Welfare Committee and Juvenile Justice Boards will be issued soon which will revolutionize the delivery of justice and child care services in the state. He informed the government under the leadership of Chief Minister and Minister for Social Welfare have already finalised roadmap for translating the vision envisaged under various laws into concrete actions.Pertinently, the Social Welfare department has already set in motion the process of setting up of Social Welfare Councils which will act as Child Protection Committees in each village and will be the decentralized model for delivering welfare at the doorsteps of beneficiaries.Hilal Bhat from UNICEF shared details about child protection scenario in Jammu and Kashmir while Ananth KumarAshtha, Lawyer and Child Rights expert from Delhi talked at length about the statutory structures and processes that are guaranteed under the Juvenile Justice system supported by Integrated Child Protection Scheme.The participants raised various queries about establishing structures under the Act which is supported by Integrated Child Protection scheme. The Officers have been asked to start registering all homes under section 35 of the Act.Among others who participated in the program were SJM Gilani, IG Kashmir, Shahid Meraj, SSP Crime, Mr.Parvaiz Ahmad Ganai, Dy. Director ICDS Kashmir.