Jammu, Mar 11 (PTI) Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday urged security forces to be vigilant towards “malicious attempts” by terror handlers from luring the youth into “unlawful activities” in Jammu and Kashmir, and said agencies should adopt “don’t touch the innocent and don’t spare the culprit” policy.
Sinha said the Government of India and the J&K administration is committed to ‘leave no child behind’, which shows its wish to develop a sensitive, supportive ecosystem for the young generation.
“Those elements responsible for terrorism in J&K are making malicious attempts to lure young boys and girls into unlawful activities. Our police and security forces must remain vigilant,” the Lt Governor said.
The LG made the remarks during the inauguration of a two-day training programme for the police and other stakeholders on strengthening child protection systems.
The LG urged security forces to take preemptive measures to ensure that no innocent child falls victim to any “nefarious design”. “Don’t touch the innocent and do not spare the culprit is our policy,” he said.
“Every child deserves a caring home. We are strengthening the mechanism of adoption to secure a happy childhood for each and every child in J&K,” the LG said.
The administration is working with full sensitivity to connect children in need with institutional and non-institutional systems and empower them to contribute to nation building, he said.
“Children in institutional care are being provided support to facilitate their reintegration into the mainstream after attaining 18 years of age,” he added.
Addressing the inaugural session of the event, the LG shared the key initiatives taken by the administration towards developing a conducive environment for the care and protection of children in the Union territory.
“Juvenile Justice is an integral part of the nation’s development. Juvenile Justice Rules 2021 were issued and the rules were notified under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act. Further, the Juvenile Justice Board was reorganised and the rehabilitation policy for children living in street situations was notified, Sinha said.
On the reforms introduced in the last few years, the LG said that before 2019, there was no established mechanism for adoption of children in Jammu Kashmir.
The administration has established a Union territory-level adoption resource agency and today 12 specialised adoption agencies are operational across Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
“Since 2022-23, a total of 34 children have got homes. Also, 47 childcare institutions – Palash and Parisha for boys and girls have been established,” Sinha said and congratulated the organisations involved.
“The policy of adopting older children has also been simplified. In January 2023, Foster Care Fund was approved under the Juvenile Justice Act,” the LG added. PTI AB AB SKY SKY
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