GUWAHATI, Jan 10 - The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Monday urged the stakeholders of child rights to make the children aware about the relevant legal provisions to check crimes against them.
NCPCR member , Yashwant Jain, on Monday urged those running children homes in the State to raise the level of legal awareness among children so that crimes against them could be prevented.
�Be it the legal implications arising out of an elopement case or any other acts like child marriages, the fear of action against their loved ones will definitely work as a deterrent,� Jain told representatives of children homes from across the State here at a workshop on implementation of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2015, Protection of Children on Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2012 and Right to Education 2009.
Expressing concern over the way the existing children homes are functioning, Jain opined that most of the homes are violating the norms and that it was a must to get them registered with the State Government.
�It is illegal to keep children in an unregistered home and without permission from the child welfare committees,� Jain said. More than 600 cases of sexual offences have been registered in the State so far under the POCSO 2012.
Chairperson of Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Runumi Gogoi, also supported the views expressed by Jain and said that some children homes were not following norms resulting in the children facing neglect and abuse.
�There are more than 90 registered children homes in the State but still many children rescued in difficult condition are facing neglect and lack of proper care,� she said.
Representatives of more than 100 children homes, including Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, attended the meeting.
NCPCR member Priyank Kanoongo, education specialist of UNICEF, Assam, Chhaya Konwar, among others attended the workshop.