According to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights(NCPCR), the governments of Delhi and West Bengal are not uploading the data of children who have been orphaned or lost a parent during the pandemic. The Supreme Court pulled up the government of West Bengal for not uploading the data.
” We said gather information pertaining to children orphaned after March 2020, and include CNCPs(Children in Need of Care and Protection) also. All the other States have understood it properly and have uploaded the information, how is it that only West Bengal doesn’t understand the order.” the Bench remarked.
“Don’t take refuge under confusion. All other States have provided it, there is confusion only for West Bengal? ” the Bench said addressing the Counsel for West Bengal.
The Union government has already announced welfare measures for the children who are orphaned or lost a parent and asked every state to upload the data on the NCPCR website. As per the website, the number of such children in every state is as following – Uttar Pradesh (3,172), Rajasthan (2,482), Haryana (2,438), Madhya Pradesh (2,243), Andhra Pradesh (2,089), Kerala (2,002), Bihar (1,634) and Odisha (1,073).
The governments of Delhi and West Bengal show they are hyper concerned about the issues of farmers, children, women etc when dealing with media and other public appearances. However, when it comes to working for their welfare and design policies accordingly, they become backbenchers.
The government of Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal confronted the Union government in uploading the data of farmers for PM-KISAN, for health insurance under Ayushman Bharat and many other schemes. And, now the same playbook is being adopted to ensure that the poor children of the state cannot benefit from the Union government’s welfare scheme for children who are orphaned or have lost one parent.
After it came to public knowledge that in the name of adopting children many criminals are doing human trafficking, PM Modi announced that the Union government would take care of such children and asked the states to upload data on the NCPCR website.
On the adoption of such children, NCPCR said that it cannot be done without following the procedure given under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
“The Act, besides providing for an extensive procedure for children who have lost family support or are in need of assistance, also provides for an exhaustive procedure for adoption of orphan/abandoned/surrendered children.”
“The adoption of orphan/ abandoned/ surrendered children is lawful only after the adoption procedure as given under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 is followed and the final adoption order is passed by the prescribed authority,” it said.
The government of West Bengal and Delhi must not sacrifice the future of children for petty politics and must upload the data on the NCPCR website. Their petty politics has already harmed the farmers in the PM-KISAN scheme and poor people in the Ayushaman Bharat scheme, and another welfare scheme must not go to waste for the people of these states due to political tussle.
