ICPS a non-starter in JK, Children lodged in jails

NL Correspondent

SRINAGAR: Government has failed to implement the Integrated Child Protection Scheme even after three years after signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centre.

The J&K government signed a MoU with the Centre in 2013 for implementation of the ICPS. Despite having passed three years, there has been no head way in implementation of the child welfare scheme.

“The government has failed to implement the ICPS in the State under which no children can be lodged in a jail and has to be kept under special observation,” Vikram Srivastava, who is a child rights activist and advocate said.

Under the scheme, the State had to set up State Child Protection Society (SCPS), Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPUs) in all districts and designate a child welfare officer in each police station within a period of three months of signing of the MoU. The funding pattern for the implementation of the scheme has been put as 90% (Central Share) and 10% (State Share). Unlike the J&K, the scheme has been implemented across India and states have received crores of rupees from the centre after implementation it. But the J&K is in a dire need for implementation of the scheme as hundreds of school going students including juveniles are lodged in jails due to non-implementation of the scheme and the Juvenile Justice Act.

The Juvenile Justice Act 2013 is too awaiting implementation in the State under which the government is to comply with the provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2013, and Rules of 2014 made under the Act, which include setting up of the Juvenile Justice Boards. “Juvenile Justice Act is probably not implemented consciously. The Act is in place but there is no structural mechanism,” he added.

Under the Act, every accused below the age of 18 years should get a humane, kind, child friendly and caring treatment and the police officer should not be in uniform when they talk to the juvenile. No juvenile can be kept in police station at night as per the Act, it says.

Sharif Bhat, J&K Programme General Manager of Save The Children said they had made various measures to safe guard the rights of juveniles in the State. “There should be no children in jail. So we are also providing some legal help to juveniles and taking various other measures,” he said in the workshop.

He said change in government and transfers in the administration was creating hurdles in implementation of the JJA. “Whenever there is some forward movement in implementation of the Act, either there is change in government or there is transfers of officials. It then again takes time to make some progress regarding implementation of the Act,” he said.