PANJIM, AUG 5
The Bombay High Court at Goa today directed the State government to file an affidavit responding to the crucial report submitted by judicial authority on the infrastructure of Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
The Division Bench comprising Justice A S Oka and F M Reis has asked government to file a proper reply over the matter by August 10. The Bench had earlier said that the CWC infrastructure was in a ‘sorry state of affairs.’
During the hearing, the court took note of the fact that the CWC is housed in an unsuitable premises; its inadequate staff and that it lacked basic amenities like telephone, computer and others.
Replying to the Court, Advocate General Subodh Kantak said that the State has initiated a plan to have separate premises for CWC and is making serious efforts to provide fulltime staff.
The Division Bench was hearing the petition filed by NGO, State Child Abuse Now (SCAN).
The High Court had converted a letter by SCAN into public interest litigation (PIL).
Accordingly an order was passed directing the Principal District and Session Judge to visit the CWC and file a detailed report by July 31.
As per the report submitted by the Principal District and Session Judge Nutan Sardessai, the premises of CWC are not suitable with an operational area of barely 6×4 sq meters.
The report also says that there is need of fulltime staff at CWC as a stenographer, an LDC and a peon who work for CWC also work for Juvenile Justice Board sittings, which result in the overlapping of work.
“It was noticed that there is only one computer unit with no internet facility and the phone is without STD connection. There is also no independent provision of stationery for CWC and it has to depend on the Superintendent and Prohibition Officer of Apna Ghar,” it stated.
The report also pointed out that there is need of vehicle, escort facility, probation officer, a counsellor, a paediatric unit and budgetary allocation.
