AC gives nod to Rehabilitation Policy for Children in Street Situation

Jammu, Dec 20: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, accorded its approval to Rehabilitation Policy for Children in Street Situation (CiSS) to safeguard these kids from different hazards.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K attended the meeting.
As per the canons of Juvenile Justice Act, Children in Street Situations (CiSS) fall under the category of children in need of care & protection. The Act further empowers the government to frame a policy for rehabilitation of such children in distress.
Earlier the Social Welfare Department through MD, ICPS (now Mission Vatsalya) carried out an exercise for identification of such CiSS and so far 687 such children have been identified.
As per the policy, Health, School Education, H&UDD, RDD, Home, Labour and Employment departments have been assigned specific roles and responsibilities for ensuring proper implementation of the said policy in letter and spirit. The same would be monitored by a Committee headed by Chief Secretary to review its implementation in the UT.
Further, the Social welfare Department shall be responsible for regular monitoring of the implementation of the policy to protect and safeguard the future of all such children found across length and breadth of J&K.
Meanwhile, the Administrative Council (AC) accorded its approval for winding up the Jammu and Kashmir Social Welfare Board.
The Jammu and Kashmir Social Welfare Board was constituted in the year 1955and over the period, the functioning of the Social Welfare Board became limited to the implementation of National crèche Scheme, and Swahdar Greh Scheme, both Centrally Sponsored Schemes being funded by Ministry of Women and Child Development through the Central Social Welfare Board. These schemes are now being implemented through the other Directorates of the Department namely Mission Poshan and Mission Shakti respectively.
Central Social Welfare Board has since been wound up by the Government of India and on its analogy, the J&K Social Welfare Board has also been wound up.
A committee to be chaired by Commissioner/Secretary, Social Welfare Department has been constituted for recommending the roadmap for utilization of services of existing employees/temporary staff already working in the said Board as also for utilization of assets and liabilities of the Social Welfare Board.