APSCPCR Wants Coordinated Action to Safeguard Children's Welfare
District collector Dr Lakshmisha described children as the nation's greatest asset
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) has directed all government departments to work in coordination to ensure that every eligible child receives the benefits of central and state welfare schemes, thereby safeguarding children's rights.
Chairing a district-level review meeting on child protection issues and implementation of the Juvenile Justice System in Vijayawada on Tuesday, APSCPCR chairman Vetukuri A.V.S. Suryanarayana Raju said continuous monitoring from the village to district level is essential to protect children's rights and welfare.
NTR district collector Dr G. Lakshmisha, commission members Challa Madhusudana Rao and V. Gandhi Babu, and senior officials reviewed the implementation of child welfare programmes in the district. Suryanarayana Raju pointed out that the state government has constituted a committee to ensure that every child receives quality education, healthcare, nutrition, and protection.
He asked all departments to work together to ensure welfare schemes reach every eligible child, adding that holistic development of children is vital to achieve the centre's Viksit Bharat initiative and the state's Swarna Andhra vision. The APSCPCR chairman directed officials of the SC, ST, and BC Welfare departments to stay overnight in government hostels once every 15 days to interact with students, identify their problems, and ensure prompt redressal.
He stressed on the need to inculcate moral values and social responsibility among children alongside academics. He cautioned parents, teachers, and officials about the harmful effects of excessive mobile phone usage. Suryanarayana Raju called for regular monitoring of the village-level child protection committees under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). He instructed officials to ensure that no child remained out of school. He wanted vigilance to prevent child marriages, child labour, and child abuse. District collector Dr Lakshmisha described children as the nation's greatest asset.
He underlined that every department has the responsibility of nurturing children so that they become capable human resources in the future.
Commission members Madhusudana Rao and Gandhi Babu stressed the need for special monitoring of children arriving from other districts and states. They called for regular inspections to prevent school dropouts, achieve full immunisation coverage, and ensure safety measures in residential hostels. District women and child welfare officer Shaik Ruksana Sultana Begum, district child protection officer M. Rajeswara Rao and officials from various departments attended the meeting.
