In a move aimed at strengthening child welfare at the grassroots level, the Directorate of Panchayats (DoP) has issued fresh directives to all Block Development Officers (BDOs) to ensure the formation and functioning of Village Child Committees (VCCs) across all village panchayats in Goa.
In a memorandum released by DoP official Siddhi Halarnkar, BDOs have been instructed to verify whether VCCs are currently in place and operational within their respective jurisdictions. If not, the BDOs are to instruct the concerned village panchayat secretaries to immediately constitute the committees.
“All the BDOs are directed to check whether the VCC is constituted and functional in all the VPs under their respective jurisdiction. If not, then all the BDOs are directed to instruct the concerned VP secretaries to constitute the same and submit the compliance,” the memorandum states.
The Directorate has set a deadline of Monday, May 5 for submission of the action taken reports, emphasizing the urgency and mandatory nature of the directive.
Village Child Committees play a critical role in monitoring and addressing child rights, health, education, and protection issues at the community level.