Abid Hafiz
Srinagar: In a setback to the Social Welfare Department, the government has removed the child rights specialist Hilal Ahmad Bhat who was appointed as mission director of Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) seventeen days after and demoted him to the post of state coordinator.
In his place, an order issued by the general administration department announced appointment of KAS officer Rubeena Kounser as the director ICPS, reversing the October 27 order of the Social Welfare department that appointed Bhat.
Bhat has worked with prestigious UNICEF and Save the Children organisations. Before his appointment, he had been a technical advisor to J&K government on child protection and juvenile justice.
As per terms and conditions of the government order, Bhat had to relinquish the assignment with UNICEF upon joining as the mission director ICPS.
An official wishing anonymity told Kashmir Press Service (KPS) that the post is technical in nature and it needs experienced hand to deal with. Bhat is considered to be one of the few specialists in ICPS.
“Hilal Bhat left his luxurious job only to serve state of Jammu and Kashmir but bureaucracy in the state left him perplexed, he said adding that in four years government failed to implement this scheme only due to technical manpower which Hilal possesses.”
The integrated child protection scheme (ICPS) is a centrally-sponsored scheme aimed at building a protective environment for children through government-civil society partnership.
Government has failed to implement the Integrated Child Protection Scheme even after four years after signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centre.
The J&K government signed a MoU with the Centre in 2013 for implementation of the ICPS. Despite having passed three years, there has been no head way in implementation of the child welfare scheme.
“The government has failed to implement the ICPS in the State under which no children can be lodged in a jail and has to be kept under special observation,” Firdous Ahmad, who is a child rights activist and advocate said.
Under the scheme, the State had to set up State Child Protection Society (SCPS), Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPUs) in all districts and designate a child welfare officer in each police station within a period of three months of signing of the MoU. The funding pattern for the implementation of the scheme has been put as 90% (Central Share) and 10% (State Share). Unlike the J&K, the scheme has been implemented across India and states have received crores of rupees from the centre after implementation it. But the J&K is in a dire need for implementation of the scheme as hundreds of school going students including juveniles are lodged in jails due to non-implementation of the scheme and the Juvenile Justice Act.
The Juvenile Justice Act 2013 is too awaiting implementation in the State under which the government is to comply with the provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2013, and Rules of 2014 made under the Act, which include setting up of the Juvenile Justice Boards. “Juvenile Justice Act is probably not implemented consciously. The Act is in place but there is no structural mechanism,” he added.
Under the Act, every accused below the age of 18 years should get a humane, kind, child friendly and caring treatment and the police officer should not be in uniform when they talk to the juvenile. No juvenile can be kept in police station at night as per the Act, it says.
“He has been working with the UNICEF and has been helping the state government in trying to roll out the ICPS. The ICPS is a complex legal framework with the objective of establishing a child rights regime. In the state of J&K it is particularly important in the context of frequent cases of children in conflict with law. The department was of the view that in order to fight for the rights of the children, ICPS should have minimum participation of the government bureaucracy as they are most likely to cave under pressure especially in cases of stone-pelting where juveniles often rot in jails with hardened criminals,” an official said.
He said that the appointment of Hilal with years of experience working with the UNICEF was done with a view to inculcate a culture of child rights in the state.
Meanwhile, the general administration department has written to the Social Welfare department that Bhat shall work as the coordinator ICPS.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Centre has approved a proposal last year of granting over Rs 27 crore for the Integrated Child Protection Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
A proposal worth Rs 27.92 crore for funding Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) has been accepted by Project Approval Board (PAB) of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.
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