Child Rights

Juvenile boards in distress?
District units haven’t met in several months
Ashutosh Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 26
Juvenile Welfare Boards (JWB) seem to be in distress as they have stopped holding regular meetings for the past several months in their respective districts. Sources said due to non-functioning of the boards, constituted under the Jammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice Act 1997, many issues concerning juveniles continued to be unaddressed.

A district board comprises deputy commissioner, tehsildar, chief medical officer, social welfare officer, assistant labour commissioner and public activists. Sources said due to preoccupations with other assignments babus had not been able to spare time for juveniles.

Due to lackadaisical attitude of the government, the proposals for setting up a juvenile court, juvenile homes, special homes, observation homes and aftercare organisations have been hanging fire for many years.

The board functions as a Bench of magistrates and has the powers conferred by the code of criminal procedures, Samvat 1989 on a chief judicial magistrate or the judicial magistrate of first class.

Call it an irony, the JWB of Jammu district does not even have an office to carry out its operations. Earlier, the then DC would hold board meetings at his office, but the sources revealed that for the past five months board meetings had not been convened. The plight of other district boards is no different.

“The juvenile Act makes it mandatory on part of the board to hold meetings on a daily basis, but the rules are not being followed,” said a social activist working for the rehabilitation of abandoned children.

“We have been facing problems arranging shelter for abandoned children and newborns. Basically, it is the job of the board but it exists on paper only,” added.

Rakesh Vaid, a board member and assistant labour commissioner, Jammu, said: “Holding board meetings is the prerogative of its chairman. I am one of the board members who attend the meetings only when invited”.

When asked about the month in which last meeting was held, he said: “I cannot recall, you better ask the chairman”.

CMO Baldev Raj, who is also a board member, said: “The board has not been convening meetings for the past one and half month. Only chairman of the board can tell you the reason”. Atul Gupta, district social welfare officer, Jammu, maintained that meetings were not being convened due to ongoing panchayat elections.

“In our earlier meetings, we had sent proposal to the government for allotment of land for the board offices. The board has also proposed for juvenile court and homes besides observation homes.”

“The last meeting was held in November or December in which decisions taken in the previous meeting were reviewed,” said another member of the board, advocate Deepika Thussoo.

“Even issues related to the custody of many abandoned children are long overdue as the board is not meeting,” she said and added, “I personally believe that the board is sinking due to obvious reasons. The government must seek a status reports from the DCs over the functioning of boards in the state”. Sanjeev Verma, chairman of the board, and Jammu DC, was not available for comments.