Sri Vijaya Puram, July 25: The District-Level Stakeholder Consultation Meeting on ‘Safeguarding the Girl Child towards a Safer and Enabling Environment for Her in India – 2025’ was successfully conducted yesterday at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, South Andaman, under the guidance of the Hon’ble Juvenile Justice Committee, High Court Kolkata, as proposed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
The meeting saw active participation from key stakeholders across Departments and institutions, including officials from the Social Welfare Department, Police, Education, Health, Child Protection Units, NGOs, and Child Care Institutions. The consultation aimed to reinforce collaborative efforts to ensure the safety, rights, and holistic development of the girl child in the region.
The session emphasized the importance of coordinated actions, policy implementation, and community-level interventions in creating a secure and supportive environment for every girl child. The consultation began with a discussion on the critical issue of the Sexual Harassment of the Girl Child. A member highlighted the importance of prevention, early identification, counseling support, and the need for effective rehabilitation and after-care planning for girls transitioning out of Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
Shri. Sudhir Kumar, Hon’ble Ld. District and Session Judge, Shri. Jayanta Mukherjee, Hon’ble Principal Magistrate, Juvenile Justice Board, Shri. Neyaz Alam, Hon’ble Additional District and Session Judge and Shri. Samrat Roy, Hon’ble Chief Judicial Magistrate, underlined the critical need to sensitize Judiciary, Police, and institutional staff to adopt child friendly procedure in dealing with cases under the POCSO Act. He emphasizes on capacity building of frontline functionaries and timely coordination between all stakeholders involved in Child Protection.
Shri Arjun Sharma, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman District, commended the collaborative spirit of all Departments. This initiative will mark a significant step in strengthening district-level mechanisms and promoting accountability and awareness among all stakeholders
Shri. Manoj Kumar Meena, IPS, Senior Superintendent of Police, South Andaman, underscored the importance of enhancing security and safety protocols, such as the installation of CCTV cameras, maintenance of visitor registers, and mandatory police verification for all CCI staff members, including support staff and contractual employees.