Child protection panels missing in Chennai

CHENNAI: The calls for setting up Child Protection Committees have gathered momentum among the public, especially among city-based activists. Such a committee is also a need of the hour in other State corporations, alleged stakeholders.

To reduce crime against children and to turn them into active members of society, the Social Welfare Department and the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) decided to form Child Protection Committees (CPCs) in Chennai.

After much delay, GCC decided to finally form CPCs in all 15 zones and 200 wards within its limit before the end of March 2025. However, the plan did not materialise, and such a committee within the Corporation limits is nowhere to be found.

Besides the formation of CPC in urban regions, activists demanded the formation of these committees and Siruvar Nagara Mandrams (child urban committees) in all municipalities and panchayats across the State. One of the objectives of the committee is to conduct meetings at least once in three months (January-March, April-June, July-September and October-December) post formation to discuss the needs, hurdles and struggles faced by children in each zone. But this largely remains on paper.

A child rights activist told DT Next: “Formation of the CPC is long pending. Though sometimes there are talks of it in GCC and the Social Welfare Department among officials, in the past couple of years, it did not pan out as anticipated.”