The inaugural child rights grievance redressal bench took place at the DC Conference Hall in Leh on June 16. The bench was organized by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in collaboration with the District Administration Leh, UT Ladakh.
During the initial session, Chairperson of the NCPCR, Priyank Kanoongo, chaired an inter-departmental review meeting on child rights. After assessing the work of relevant departments, including Social Welfare, Education, and Labor, concerning child protection and rights grievances in the region, the Chairperson instructed the departments and concerned organizations to prioritize child rights in all aspects. The Border Roads Organization was specifically directed to address cases involving children of laborers and establish prefabricated camps to provide Anganwadi facilities for laborers working under them.
The Chairperson reiterated the need for elementary schools to be available within the defined area under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. He emphasized that children of migrant laborers and those in street situations should not be denied admission to schools due to a lack of documents such as Aadhar and transfer certificates.
The labor department was directed to establish a District Task Force to address child labor issues. The Chairperson also instructed the department to collect accurate data on students absent from school for more than 30 days and investigate such cases for potential instances of child labor.
Instructions were also given to properly map KGBV schools in both Leh and Kargil and ensure that government hostels are operating at full capacity.
Representatives from the concerned departments, including Social Welfare, Education, Labor, and Child Welfare Committee (CWC), provided updates on various cases and the department’s work in addressing child protection and rights grievances in the region. They discussed cases involving children in need of care and protection, compensations provided in POCSO cases, children in street situations, child labor, and child adoption, among others.
Under the leadership of Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo, the grievance redressal bench addressed cases and incidents related to violations of child rights and welfare in the districts. The bench resolved grievances concerning the POCSO Act, financial sponsorship, and documentation issues. Instructing parents to register with the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) for livelihood opportunities, financial assistance was provided to children from poor and distressed families. The bench also addressed cases involving children with special needs and persons with disabilities (PwDs).
Regarding the challenges faced by departments in implementing schemes aimed at the welfare of children and beneficiaries, Chairperson Kanoongo assured that the matter would be taken up with the relevant ministries for prompt resolution.
Furthermore, the concerned departments were urged to raise public awareness about various government schemes related to financial assistance, scholarships, and the POCSO Act.
To address grievances and provide immediate services, stalls for Aadhaar enrollment/updation, Golden card/PMJAY registration, health check-ups under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), as well as stalls by banks, the Social Welfare Department, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Health Department, NRLM, and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) were set up during the event.
