Railway stations are among
the most dangerous places for children where they often become victims of
sexual harassment and drug abuse. To take special care of children, the central
government had ordered all states to form Child Protection Committee (CPC) at
major railway stations. It is more than a year but Ahmedabad Railway Division
has not implemented it.
According to the order,
major railway stations have to set up Child Welfare Centre under the CPC where
officials are supposed to provide food, temporary shelter, clothing, separate
toilets for boys and girls, medicines and other basic facilities to children
found at and around railway stations until they get transferred to Child
Welfare Committee (CWC). But still, children roaming, begging and working at
Ahmedabad railway station is a common sight. “Every month, hundreds of children
flee their houses and land at the city railway stations. Initially, they stay
at the stations and then they melt in the crowd. So, it is essential to track
them and admit to Child Welfare Centre as early as possible,“ said Dilip Mer,
child rights activist from Childline.
“CPC will help in providing
accountability and ensuring better protection of vulnerable children,“ he
added.
RAILWAY PASSING THE BUCK
In an official letter in
December 2013, Director General of Railway Board P K Mehta had ordered all
major railway stations to form CPC. It is aimed at ensuring the mechanism for
care and protection of children at and around railway stations. But sadly, more
than a year has passed but city railway station is yet to follow it.
All-round confusion is evident
due to lack of communication. While V K Tailor, divisional commercial manager,
Ahmedabad railway claims that the department has set up CPC and is following
all rules, some officials whom Mirror spoke to officials accepted that they had
not set up CPC, stating that Railway Protection Force (RPF) takes care of
vulnerable children.
“I am unaware of the latest
development,“ said Ajay Prakas, senior manager, divisional commercial,
Ahmedabad railway.
However, Pradeep Sharma,
public relation officer, said Child Welfare Centre was under construction and
getting furnished. “After the completion, we will hand it over to the
government to maintain it. It is not our duty to maintain it,“ he said.
This leads to another
confusion as the order from the Director General of Railway Board says that the
nodal officer at the division level along with RPF and other members will
monitor the functioning of CPC which will run the welfare centre.
NO NOTIFICATION
A Mumbai-based NGO, Railway
Children, visited the city railway station in 2014 to enquire about the present
condition of CPC. But it was surprised to know that the railway authorities had
not even received the notification from the general manager concerned. “This
committee is expected to function as the apex body for the provision of all
child protection issues at railway station level,“ said Sanjay Trivedi from the
NGO.
The guideline under Section
3 states that CPC should hold monthly meeting to review its own functioning and
ensure overall supervision of protection centres.
“The protocol will make it
mandatory for all stations to hold regular meetings which will ensure better
investigation and detailed case studies,“ added Trivedi.
While the government has
made it mandatory for the railway stations to provide temporary shelter to
children in need of care and protection, the conditions at ground zero are
different.
“There is no proper centre
for needy children at stations. The space shall be a dormitory with separate
beds for boys and girls. Also, it has to be disabled-friendly along with
heating and cooling arrangements. There should be gender-wise separate toilet
facilities,“ said Rajiv Patel, a child rights activist who works for children
found at railway stations.
“All these facilities which
are not available for children at railway stations would have become reality
had they implemented the railway board order,“ he added.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHILD
PROTECTION COMMITTEE
» Formation of child
assistance centre.
» Ensure providing basic
facilities to children.
» Maintain emergency
contact numbers of officers, NGOs, CWC, hospitals.
» Ensure proper functioning
of child protection systems.
» Maintaining record of
children received at stations and follow-up action.
» Display of advocacy
messages.
» Installing a functional
telephone at CAC.
» Holding monthly meeting
for supervision of child protection issues.
» Provide publicity about
missing children.
» Ensuring adequate
vigilance mechanism.
» Coordinating with
statutory bodies and NGOs.
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