New Delhi, 06 July (H.S.): Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Monday directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure prompt, comprehensive and well-coordinated action in all cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He instructed that all concerned departments work in close coordination to ensure the timely disposal of such cases and emphasized that the proposed child protection measures should not remain confined to Child Protection Month but should become a permanent institutional priority.

Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chaired a high-level review meeting at Lok Niwas to assess the implementation of various initiatives, awareness campaigns and safety measures being undertaken as part of Child Protection Month, being observed throughout July. The meeting comprehensively reviewed the efforts of the Education Department, Delhi Police and the Department of Women and Child Development to strengthen child safety and directed all departments to complete assigned tasks within the prescribed timelines.

The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary, Delhi Police Commissioner, Education Secretary, Secretary of the Department of Women and Child Development, Directors of the Directorate of Education and the Department of Women and Child Development, Deputy Commissioner of Police (SPUWAC), and other senior government officials.

During the review, the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister directed that child protection initiatives should not remain limited to the month of July but should be integrated into the regular and permanent functioning of all educational institutions. Officials informed the meeting that Child Protection Committees, in accordance with the provisions of the POCSO Act, have already been constituted in all Delhi Government schools. They further directed that similar committees must be established in all 5,633 schools across the National Capital by the end of July.

The meeting was also informed that nearly 1,000 educational and vocational guidance counsellors are currently conducting awareness sessions in Delhi Government schools on safe and unsafe touch, gender sensitivity and personal boundaries. The Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister directed that qualified counsellors should be made available in every school across Delhi.

They further instructed that the training and capacity-building of master trainers and other designated trainers should be completed in all schools within July. Every educational institution must submit compliance certificates based on student safety checklists, while a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling POCSO-related cases should be implemented uniformly across all schools.

The review meeting also directed the constitution of joint inspection teams comprising representatives of parents, the Education Department, the Department of Women and Child Development, Delhi Police and school principals to conduct inspections of all schools. Comprehensive awareness campaigns for parents and children will also be organised through Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs), audio-visual media, printed educational material and other communication platforms. The Delhi Police has been directed to ensure prompt, effective and coordinated action in every case registered under the POCSO Act.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the effective and time-bound implementation of all child safety programmes and initiatives is essential. She stressed that these efforts should become an integral part of the routine functioning of all institutions rather than being limited to a single month, thereby ensuring that every child receives a safe, secure and sensitive environment.

She further said the Delhi Government considers child safety its highest priority and will ensure effective coordination among all departments for the timely implementation of every directive. The government's objective, she said, is to establish a strong and sustainable child protection framework that guarantees every child in the national capital the opportunity to grow in a safe, dignified and secure environment.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar