Warangal: Mission to sensitise children on rights

Warangal: Children are entitled to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of education and health, Warangal Rural District Collector M Haritha said. Releasing posters of Child Rights Week here on Thursday, she said that institutions and agencies concerned should take the responsibility of creating awareness of child rights.

Haritha said: "Children need access to education, health, shelter, clean water and air, and nutritious food. The onus is online departments to work in tandem to find better ways to support children to be healthy, both physically and mentally." Referring to the wide disparity in respect of child rights protection in rural and urban areas, she emphasised the need for sensitising the people about child rights.

She said that the line departments should give priority on providing better opportunities to the children living in backward areas. "There was a dire need for sensitising people about the child protection laws, so that they can inform the officials if they find any cases of child marriage, child trafficking, illegal adoption etc including children facing mental melancholy," Haritha said.

The district administration has so far organised awareness programmes explaining about child trafficking, child marriages, safe and unsafe touch, physical and mental changes during the adolescence etc through short films in 32 State-run schools covering 6,500 students, she said. These awareness programmes will also be organised in private schools and colleges shortly, she added.

As part of child rights week, wall posters would be pasted at the public places and government offices against child marriages, child labour, child abuse etc, she said. She further said that essay writing, painting and other competition would be conducted in schools under Narsampet, Parkal and Wardhannapet ICDS Project areas. A Walkathon would also be organised as part of child rights week programme that commence on November 7, she said.

District Welfare Officer K Chinnaiah, DEO D Vasanthi, Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Chairman Mandala Parashuramulu, BRB Coordinator Vijayalaxmi, DCPO G Mahender Reddy, Protection Officers Raju, Harikrishna and Narasimha Swamy were among others present.