Port Blair, Mar 18: The Seventh review meeting of Child Welfare Committee (South Andaman) for the 7th quarter (October 2020 to December 2020) was conducted under the Chairmanship of District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner (SA) to review the pendency of cases and the issues pertaining to the welfare of children of South Andaman which was attended by the Chairperson and Member(s) of the Child Welfare Committee, South Andaman.

The District Magistrate/ Deputy Commissioner is conferred the powers as per the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act U/s 27 (8) and the Rule 20 (3) A & N Islands Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Rules 2017.
The Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman directed to dispose the pending cases related to children in need of care and protection at the earliest and emphasised that no child should be neglected and help should reach the child in distress without delay. Tehsildar, Little Andaman was made the coordinating officer for the cases of Little Andaman Tehsil for immediate production of the children in need of care and protection before the Child Welfare Committee.
The Child Welfare Committee was advised to coordinate with the various schemes under the Department of Social Welfare and to conduct awareness program, if required. The Social Welfare Department has already taken up the initiative of skill development training programme for the children.
At present there are 12 Child Care Institutions functional in South Andaman District and the major setback faced by the Child Welfare Committee is to provide shelters for the children with teenage pregnancy as there is no separate provision for such children. The Deputy Commissioner instructed to identify Type IV quarter as an interim arrangement that can be utilised for this purpose.
Directions were issued to Director (SW) to look into the matter of the health of the girl children and to provide iron supplements to every child under the Child Care Institutions.

The Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman directed to strictly maintain COVID-19 Protocol in all the Child Care Institution to protect the children from getting infected.