Karnataka child rights commission faces closure

Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), formed to make the state a child-friendly one, is fighting a lonely battle for survival. Formed about two years back, the commission is on the brink of closure, as it is facing several obstructions to function without the status of a full-fledged autonomous body.

The commission is so much starved of funds and short-staffed that it could not even form a special investigation team to solve the pending cases. “We are a toothless body. We have no power to initiate action against child rights violators. Our job is to give suggestions to government, and the government hardly takes any action on our suggestions,” said Vasudev Sharma, a member of the commission. Sharma said unless the commission was turned into a full-fledged autonomous body, it would be difficult for it to continue its work for long.

The financial situation of the commission is so bad that its head office on Nrupthunga Road went without power for the whole month in September last year, as it failed to pay the electricity bills. “If things continue like this, the day is not so far off when the commission will be forced to shut down,” said a senior child rights activist. “With no help from police in dealing with the cases, no freedom of operation and utter neglect by government, the commission is finding it hard even to function,” the activist said.

Members in the commission are paid  nominally as KSCPCR is not an autonomous body. “We are working as ad hoc employees and we are paid nominally. Though we have been entrusted with several responsibilities, government is not even ready to pay our monthly salaries,” said another  member of KSCPCR.

According to the rules laid down by National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, chairpersons of all state commissions should have the powers of a cabinet secretary, and the members, that of a secretary. 

The commission functions as a civil court and hears petitions pertaining to violation of child rights and looks into several child related issues, including child labour and child trafficking.