Child rights activists urge CM to release child budget statement

CHENNAI: For the protection of child rights and to direct added attention to children from certain backgrounds, the members of Tamil Nadu Child Rights Watch (TNCRW) has urged the State government to release a detailed child budget statement after the completion of legislative assembly.

Urging Chief Minister MK Stalin for quick consideration of a few concerns, TNCRW pointed out that like Kerala and Karnataka, it is vital for TN to release the child budget in the assembly session.

Additionally, they requested the State allocate funds that will motivate children to participate in public discourse concerning them.

“Like the announcement made by the Minister of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment on formulation of gender budget in all departments; the need for a child budget in all departments must be initiated with guidelines and functions of the CB cell before the next legislative assembly,” the letter stated.

Further, the TNCRW members urged for the child budget to become an annual practice in the State. And, interdepartmental discussions to become imperative to fulfil the TN State policy for children 2021 with the participation of child rights organisations.

“From the experiences of current budgetary allocation for children, we inferred that cash transfer programmes or schemes targeting nutrition, school infrastructure and aid for private homes is not fully addressing the needs of around 29 percent of the total population in the State,” the letter to CM pointed out.