The Supreme Court today directed all state governments to set up juvenile boards, child welfare committees and juvenile police units within six weeks.
A bench, headed by Justice Dalveer Bhandari, passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation that sought the court’s intervention to deal with child trafficking, which is rampant in the areas bordering Nepal and Bangladesh.
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties, the petitioner, said that juvenile welfare committees did not exist in even half the districts across the country. These committees are expected to oversee the implementation of child-related laws and schemes.
The bench will sit every Friday to address issues relating to child trafficking.
The court also appointed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights as the nodal authority to ensure compliance with court orders. The commission will report to the court every month.
The Union government will sanction extra funds and infrastructure required to set up the juvenile boards and welfare committees.
The juvenile boards will be set up under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, as amended in 2006. Although the law has been notified and the rules have been framed, it is yet to be implemented so far.
The apex court also asked solicitor-general Gopal Subramaniam to come up with an incentive package to encourage parents of rescued children if they send them to schools.