Application invited for chairperson members for CWCs

The announcement has given hope to several activists who have maintained that while the city’s Child Welfare Committee is overloaded with large numbers of cases, the ones in the districts are facing conflict of interest with many running homes and child care institutions.

A source from the city’s committee said that there have been plans to have at least two more committees, to divide the cases zone wise. “We see at least 10 cases a day and that is not just our role. 

We must visit child care institutions etc and there are a lot of other functions by the members. It is only logical that they have tow other committees to cope with the everyday load,” added the source. Talking to DT Next, a source from Tirunelveli in the child protection unit said that there have been vacancies for a long time, and it was high time that the vacancies were filled in.

The release from the Chennai collector has also mentioned the criteria for the applicant. The release noted that the chairperson and members for Child Welfare Committee are to be appointed on honorarium basis of which one shall be a woman.  

The applicants should have been actively involved in health, education or welfare activities pertaining to children for at least seven years or a practicing professional with a degree in child psychology or psychiatry or law or social work or sociology or human development.  The age of the applicant should not be less than 35 years and not completed 65 years. 

A person shall be eligible for appointment as a Chairperson or Member for a maximum of two terms, which shall not be continuous.

A source from the State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights said that there have been a lot of issues at the various child welfare committees in the state. “There are committees in which husband and wife are members and these are unacceptable,” added the source, indicating they hoped with the new members the trend changed.