The District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) Thoubal has been taking up various welfare programmes for the children of Thoubal district under the social welfare department, Manipur government.
Speaking to Imphal Free Press, DCPU Thoubal Protection Officer Gajoo Rajkumari said that the Social Welfare Department has opened one district child protection unit each in 16 districts of the state to stop and look into the cases of crime against women and children.
She said the units are being set up to prevent cases of child abuse, sexual assault, child labour and child trafficking. She added that children below 18 years of age are considered juvenile.
She said that Thoubal district witnesses underage marriage cases the most but various acts have been passed in the country to avoid such law offenders. Illegal adoption cases can also be seen in the state, she added.
Gajoo appealed to the people to avoid illegal adoption and adopt children by following proper guidelines by registering “Caring” under women and child development. She said that there are eight Child Care Institutes (CCI) in Thoubal district under DCPU Thoubal for underprivileged children.
Children who fall under the category of orphan, semi orphan, incapacitated and children affected by natural calamities can be kept in CCI, she informed.
There are also three children homes for the displaced children from the ongoing violence and they are Children Home for girls in Thoubal Wangmataba, Government children home for boys in Charangpat and Nawa sanglen children home for boys in Wangbal, she added.
She said that there are also two homes for children with disabilities in the district, one is a children home for mentally ill girls at Thoubal Sabaltongba and a children home for mentally ill boys at Langathel. There are also two open shelter homes in the district for POCSO victims and they are Eramdam Ningol Sanglen open shelter for girls at Wangbal and open shelter home for boys at Phoudel, she added. There is also one home for children with Child in Conflict with Laws (CCL) at Samaram.
She also spoke about the “Sponsorship scheme” which was initiated under Women and Child Development, DCPU Thoubal which is a centralised scheme for students under 18 years of age. It will provide a monthly allowance of Rs 4,000 each to the students who got their admission under the said scheme. Students who are orphans, semi orphans, children of divorced parents and other underprivileged children can avail the benefits of the scheme, added the child protection officer.
She said that forms of the scheme can be availed from DCPU Thoubal office in DC Thoubal office complex or from “sponsorship form under mission vatsalya” through online mode.
A Sponsorship and Foster care Approval Committee (SFCSC) in which DC Thoubal will be the chairperson will see the process of selecting the children who can benefit from the scheme, she said.
