Kozhikode: A new post of officer for women and child development in all districts apart from the district level office would act as a semi-directorate with powers for transfer, posting, expenditure etc are among the significant recommendations in the report of V.K Jithendran, the special officer who was assigned to carve out a new department exclusively for women and child out of the social justice (SJ) department. The new department will be named as the department for women and child development (WCD).
According to sources, the report recommends institutions associated with schemes such as ICDS (Integrated child development services), ICPS (Integrated child protection scheme), Nirbhaya and child & women institutions should fall under WCD whereas transgenders, senior citizens, differently abled, other marginalized sections and the orphanage control board should come under SJ. Ministerial employees could be given the option of selecting the department. Another important recommendation is the abolition of the existing three regional offices of the SJ department. At the higher level, each department will have a Director, Assistant Director and a common secretary.
The assets and institutions of the SJ department would be segregated but the ownership will rest with the parent department. The budget head would also be separate. “I had submitted the report to the minister K.K Shylaja. All the stakeholders--employees, employees organizations, NGOs etc were unanimous about forming a new department,” said V.K Jithendran to DC. However, he did not divulge the details. According to an officer, carving out a new department would help getting more focus on the problems of the differently abled and senior citizens which are now eclipsed by woman and child issues. “As per the report, WCD will have grassroot level activity but SJ will be limited to the district-level,” said another officer. The budget allocation for WCD is expected to be in the coming budget after cabinet approval.
