The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently observed that members of the Juvenile Board in these states do not hold meetings to discuss the finer points of the juvenile justice delivery system as often as they ought to.

Taking note of this, the HC has made it clear that the administration in these two states must meet more frequently. “Members should meet at least once a day and not according to their convenience,” observed the court.

Ironically, most districts of Haryana either do not have a Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) or a Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Those which do exist are merely on paper like the JJBs in Bhiwani, Hisar and Faridabad.

As per the provisions of the Act, the state government is supposed to “establish and maintain either by itself or in association with voluntary organisations, children’s homes in every district”.

The state will monitor their functioning by appointing inspection committees at the district or the city level under Section 35 of the Act.

In the 21 districts in Haryana, however, only two care homes are available — one in Rai, Sonepat, for boys and one in Karnal for girls.

Other than these, there are three observation homes (for juvenile delinquents) each at Sonepat, Karnal and Faridabad. Sonepat has a home for disabled children.

According to a sub-group report submitted under the Child Protection in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, it is mandatory to establish a Childline in every district, for providing counselling and rehabilitative services to children along with linkages to other available schemes of the Centre or the state governments.

... contd.