Jamshedpur will get a special gift this Children's Day.
Child-friendly police stations will be opened on the premises of 14 existing thanas in and around the city from Monday to sensitively deal with cases involving both minor victims and offenders.
Voluntary outfits Adarsh Seva Sansthan, Yuva and Sparsh will launch awareness campaigns at Sakchi, Sonari, Bistupur, Golmuri, Kadma, Jugsalai, Ulidih, Parsudih, Bagbera, Ghatshila, Mosabani, Patamda, Chakulia and Potka police stations on child rights to facilitate the Bal Mitra thanas.
These special police stations are supposed to have a set of 21 indicators such as appointment of a child welfare officer and a separate room/area for interaction with children. This apart, cases of missing children are supposed to be registered within 24 hours of the incident while policemen in uniform should not interact with the children.
The state's first Bal Mitra police station came up in Gonda, Ranchi, in 2011 following a joint initiative of Unicef and Jharkhand Police, but it stopped functioning a few years later.
"Minor offenders cannot be treated as criminals. They need to be dealt with care and compassion. Children caught stealing will never confide in cops because they are petrified of men in uniform. Our aim is to help them find the right way, not penalise them and push them into darkness," said Chanchal Kumari, East Singhbhum district child protection officer.
The voluntary outfits have active support of the district administration. "There are child welfare officers at every police station, but there are gaps in communication. Hence, we are backing the NGOs' campaign," Chanchal added.
The Bal Mitra thanas, which are supposed to work according to guidelines enshrined in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, are a part of week-long celebrations, beginning Monday, for Universal Children's Day, which is on November 20.
Coming Sunday, the NGOs will rope in 23 slum children who will release balloons with a message against child marriage.
"A poster campaign is being launched in the city from this Monday to popularise child helpline 1098. We will tell residents to report incidents of child abuse or trafficking by calling us on the helpline," said Prabha Jaiswal, president of district child welfare committee and a member of Adarsh Seva Sansthan.
