States, UTs asked to provide data of children who lost parents to Covid-19

Our Reporter
Dimapur, May 29 (EMN): The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked states and union territories (UTs) to upload data of children who have lost both or either of the parents to Covid-19 on online tracking portal “Bal Swaraj (Covid-care)”.

The NCPCR, in furtherance to its function as a monitoring authority under section 109 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and in view of the growing problem related to children affected by Covid-19, has devised an online tracking portal “Bal Swaraj” for child in need of care and protection, a PIB report stated.

It stated that portal of the commission has been created for online tracking and digital real time monitoring mechanism of children who are in need of care and protection. The commission has extended the use of this portal for tracking children who have lost both parents or either of the parent during Covid-19 and provided a link under the name of “Covid-Care” for uploading of data of such children by the concerned officer or department on the portal.

The children who have lost family support or are without any ostensible means of subsistence are in need of care and protection under Section 2(14) of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and all procedures given under the Act for such children must be followed to ensure the well-being and best interest of children, the report stated.

The “Bal Swaraj-Covid-care” portal is aimed at tracking the children affected by Covid-19, right from the production of children before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to the restoration of the children to their parent, guardian or relative and its subsequent follow-up, it stated.

It informed that through the data filled in the portal by the district officers and state officers for each child, the commission will be able to get information about whether the child is being able to get his or her entitlements, benefits and monetary gains for which the child is entitled to.

It will also come to know whether the child has been produced before the CWC and the orders are being passed for him or her and the commission can also identify if the state is needing financial assistance in getting more funds for giving benefit under implemented schemes to the children.

The Supreme Court has also directed all district officers across the states and UTs to fill data on the Commission’s portal, related to children who have become orphan before Saturday (May 29) evening, on Bal Swaraj portal under the Covid-Care link.

The Commission has also informed about the direction of the Supreme Court to all states and UTs through letters to principal secretaries of department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare on May 28 and letter to chief secretaries on May 29. The username and passwords of each user or district child protection officer and state government has been shared with all states and UTs as well, the report added.