RAIPUR,CG,BHARAT: State Child Protection Committee (SCPC) Chhattisgarh on Wednesday focused on key child protection issues and the coordination between various departments. The discussions were held on crucial topics such as the Supreme Court's directives, the Child Marriage Free Chhattisgarh campaign, and Mission Vatsalya.

The executive meeting of the State Child Protection Committee and the State Child Welfare and Protection Committee, constituted under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, was held at Mahanadi Bhawan under the chairmanship of Shammi Abidi, Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department and ex-officio Chairperson of the committee.

Senior officials from departments including Home, Health and Family Welfare, Social Welfare, Panchayat and Rural Development, Police, State Legal Aid, Railways, and NIC attended the meeting. A comprehensive review of time-bound actions in important child protection cases, along with progress on child welfare initiatives, was conducted.

The Secretary of Women and Child Development emphasized the need for strict adherence to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012, and its subsequent amendments. She directed the Home Department to ensure compliance with the Act across all districts and to allocate adequate funds for victim compensation under the Compensation Scheme.

To support the continuity of education for victims, the Education Department was tasked with ensuring necessary measures, while the Skill Development Authority was instructed to offer employment-oriented training in coordination with District Child Protection Units.

In line with government directives, the meeting also approved the operation of specialized adoption agencies in 20 districts where they were previously unavailable. Additionally, state and district-level inspection committees were formed to monitor child care institutions, with instructions for timely action on inspection reports.

Abidi also highlighted the state's efforts in preventing child marriages, noting that 161 child marriages were stopped in 2023-24 and 167 in 2024-25. A strategy for the Child Marriage Free Chhattisgarh campaign, launched by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, is being implemented across departments and districts. The notification process for Child Marriage Prohibition Officers at the Gram Panchayat level is underway.

The meeting concluded with the approval of the 2023-24 audit report and discussions on improving coordination among supporting departments for the best interests of children in the state.