State level consultation and Child Rights Special Grama Sabha success stories book released Programme

State level consultation and Child Rights Special Grama Sabha success stories book released Programme

Mr.Jagadish Shetter, Minister for RDPR releasing book

 

‘It is the prime duty of every Grama Panchayat to uphold the rights of every child in their jurisdiction’ Mr.Jagadish Shetter, Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Government of Karnataka was responding to the queries by media personnel on 18th Feb. 2012 at Dharawada. He was there to address the congregation of about 150 representatives from Grama Panchayats across the state with respect to Child Rights Special Grama Sabhas. A media representative asked the minister, whether conducting such Grama Sabhas cantered on child rights issues is compulsory or not. The minister was visibly amused about it. He said, ‘the issue of whether it is compulsory or not doesn’t arise, when you get a circular issued by RDPR to all the Panchayats that in the interest of your own children, for giving the children an opportunity to express their difficulties and for the Panchayats to take stock of the situation of children in their working area, we see Grama Panchayats taking the task whole heartedly. I am sure next you will ask how many have conducted these special grama sabhas. Well it is a fact that not all have conducted these special grama sabhas. Our reports show that around 3,000 and odd grama panchayata have taken this serious in the current year and have conducted Child Rights Special Grama Sabhas’.

Later on Mr.Jagadish Shetter addressed the delegates comprising of Grama Panchayats Presidents, Vice Presidents, members, PDO-Panchayat Development Officers, NGOs and media on the importance of upholding survival, protection, development and participation rights of children. He shared with the group that the development goals set by the international and national bodies have to be achieved at the bottom most rung, i.e., villages. He rightly pointed out that Grama Panchayats have begun to look at the development needs of children and plan accordingly in coordination with other service providers at village level. For the suggestions made by the participants on making this special grama sabhas a part of the Act and also institutionalising the panchayats systems to take call on children, the minister said that the government will take them seriously and discuss with the concerned.